In Omnia
by Dellypoo
Summary: What if Rory hadn't met some random guy on Spring Break freshman year, but instead met someone she would meet the following year?
1. Chapter 1

Rory, Paris, Madeline, and Louise hang out at the other pool, chatting about all the mischief Madeline and Louise had been getting into the past month. Rory was talking with her mother, filling her in on the sudden death fight in the pool when a tall, tan brunet captures her attention from across the pool. She's totally oblivious as the hot guy turns her way, catching her staring at him. Rory blushes when he smirks, giving her a wink before turning back to his conversation.

She follows with her gaze as he taps his friend on the shoulder before heading to the stairs. As he reaches for the banister, he glances her way, his lips turning up into a smile before winking once more, finally disappearing onto the second-floor walkway.

"Hello?" Lorelai's voice cuts into Rory's thoughts of the hottie.

"Hmmm," she finally manages to get out.

"You sound distracted, did something cute just walk by?" Lorelai asks.

"Um, no. I gotta go," Rory replies, anxious suddenly to get off the phone. "I'll call you later."

"No windows," Lorelai reminds her daughter.

"No windows," Rory agrees before closing her phone. She puts it in her bag then glances toward her friends.

Seeing their knowing smiles, and Louise's smirk, Rory fidgets before crossing her arms over her chest, "What?" She asks trying to deflect their probing gazes.

"Who's the guy?" Madeline asks.

"What guy?" Rory replies, quickly looking around.

"Oh, no," Madeline interrupts.

"What?" Louise asks as she looks up to the second floor where Madeline was staring daggers.

"The twins," Louis acknowledges.

"God, they're everywhere," Madeline cries in frustration. "WE can't compete against twins," she continues as the four women stare at the blonde women.

"Especially once they caught on to the kissing thing," Louise added. "Let's find another pool," she suggests to Madeline as the two begin collecting their things.

"See you tonight," Madeline tosses over her shoulder as they quickly depart.

"Hey, why don't you go get us something at the bar," Paris suggests, ticking her head toward the area on the second floor where several coolers had been set up.

Rory continues to look up toward the area, trying not to stare at the hottie. "What?"

"Then you can go talk to that hot guy," Paris explains patiently.

"I don't think so," Rory replies, blushing.

"Come on," Paris cajoles, "Flirting seems to be a very big part of this spring break ritual and I'm taken." Paris points toward Rory, "I have to live vicariously through you."

Before she could continue to encourage her friend, Paris is distracted by an announcement of a banana eating contest.

Rory watches Paris run off before glancing back up to the second floor. Biting her bottom lip, something she does when she's nervous, weighing her options, she quickly decides to take a chance. Rory marches up the stairs, pausing momentarily at the top, taking a deep breath then walking toward the cooler.

Rory watches as the hottie picks up a few cubes of ice, placing them in the cup in his hand. She style pulls a can of sparkling juice out of the ice, fiddling with her bangs as she smiles. The guy is even more hot close up. The open white shirt he's wearing shows off his biceps perfectly.

*Stop staring* Rory admonishes herself. Trying to break the awkwardness, Rory asks the first thing that comes to her mind. "Hey, do you know what those things are called that they hit each other with in the pool?" She points over her shoulder and they both turn to look down at the pool.

He shakes his head, "Sorry, Love, I truly don't."

*Oh, dear Lord he has an accent* she thinks. "Oh, I was just wondering," she responds with a shrug.

"Do I lose points for that, Kitten?" He asks Turing on the charm.

"No, no points lost," Rory replies with a smile all the while blushing a deeper shade of red.

Before anything else can be said the pair hear, "Hey, Finn, come on." They both turn toward the voice, seeing both a blond and brunet guy a few feet away.

Rory notices the b long is attractive in board shorts and a Hawaiian shirt, open to reveal a toned chest. The brunet is in a tank top and board shorts. While the blond is laughing and smiling, the brunet looks constipated, a deep frown on his face. He's motioning for Finn to come join them.

"Keep your nickers on, Colin, I'm on my way." He looks down at Rory giving her a wink. "See ya, Kitten," he pats her shoulder affectionately before leaving.

"Okay, see ya," Rory replies awkwardly. She's quickly distracted by Paris screaming, "Excuse me for thinking a banana watching contest was about eating a banana." Rory watches her friend storm pass as those in her wake laugh.

*Only Paris* Rory thinks as she takes off after her close friend. She didn't relish trying to calm down the high-strung woman, but she knew it was necessary if they were going to have fun that night.

Later that evening the four girls walk into the night's 'hot' club. Each girl dutifully got their hand stamped, indicating they were under twenty-one.

Rory watches as Madeline and Louise immediately move to two men at the bar. Madeline reaches between them, taking a bar napkin and wiping her and Louise's hands. She then reaches for one of the guy's hands, licking the back of it so they two could transfer the over twenty-one stamp to their own hands. Rory was impressed and more than a little disgusted.

"Want anything?" Madeline asks as she and Louis blow on their hands.

"Maybe later," Rory responds a bit uncomfortably.

Paris and Rory watch as Madeline and Louise move further into the club. They flow a few moments later, ending up on the edge of the dance floor watching the band and clapping as the music ends.

"Wow, quite a scene," Rory says looking around a bit awkwardly.

"Yeah, I guess we found the hot place tonight," Paris responds.

"Yep, no one can sniff out the hot place like we can," Rory shoots back, continuing to glance around awkwardly.

"Okay, so here we are," Paris says. She glances around much like Rory. "We should do something."

"What?"

"I don't know," Paris glances around again searching for something. Anything.

"We could dance," Rory finally offers up.

"Dance, okay, sure let's dance."

"Okay, let's dance," Rory says as the two start swaying awkwardly. "This is fine," Rory adds after a moment.

"Yep," Paris agrees. After a minute or so Paris stops, looking over Rory's shoulder. "Hey, I think your husband's here." She points toward the back of the club near the pool tables.

"What? Where?" Rory asks turning.

"Why don't you go buy him a drink?"

"What, a ginger ale?" Rory retorts pointing toward her hand with the club stamp.

"Or maybe you could get Madeline or Louise to buy a drink for you and you could bring it to him," Paris counters.

Rory looks back toward the guy named Finn, smiling sheepishly when he catches her staring. She watches him smile be3fore turning away and heading for the pool table. "Well, that was the shortest relationship ever."

"What?" Paris asks leaning toward Rory.

"He looked, he saw, he changed his mind." Rory hooked her thumb over her shoulder.

"Sorry," Paris responds as the two go back to swaying. They watch Janet taking shots with a guy at the bar before finding Madeline and Louise dancing provocatively with two guys a few yards away.

"Okay, what is going on here?" Paris asks looking around.

"What?"

"Why is every person in this place having a better time than we are?" Paris grumbles.

"Well, I don't that they are," Rory says.

"Look around. Every single person in this place is having a better time than we are. Why? I mean, we have been doing everything everybody else is," Paris rants. "We're here, in the hot place."

"So, we're not good dancers," Rory says. 'we did the hanging out at the pool part pretty well."

"We're not trying hard enough," Paris shoots back.

What are you talking about," Rory mumbles? "This is not a test," she adds still swaying.

"We came here to do spring break, and we are going to do spring break," Paris argues.

"Well, what else do you suggest we don," Rory begins. She's cut off by Paris lunging towards her. Paris's hands grab Rory's head and holds her still. She plants a big kiss on Rory's lips, catching Rory by surprise.

Rory manages to break Paris's grip, pushing the blonde back while yelling, "What Rae you doing? Are you crazy?"

"Well, Madeline and Louise do it."

Before Rory could respond a sleepy looking guy walks up to them, forcing a cup into each girl's hand. It was either take the cup or get drowned with what was in it.

Once Paris and Rory were holding the cups, the guy put his arms over their shoulders, pulling them in close. "Ladies, I have to say, that little display was beyond hot." He gave each of them a squeeze, pulling them in even closer. "What do ya say you clung those drinks and we go somewhere a bit more private?"

He went to kiss their heads, but Paris was quicker. She elbowed him while Rory stepped on his foot.

Just as Paris was about to give the guy a piece of her mind, Rory felt someone bump into the hand holding the cup. She looks up noticing Finn who winked at her.

"So sorry there, mate, guess I'm a little more nackered than I thought." Rory watches as Finn attempts to swipe at the wet spot on the guy's shirt, managing to somehow knock into Paris's cup. It also spills down the guy's already sopping front.

"Bugger, I'm such a klutz," Finn slurry using the guy's shoulder to attempt to keep upright.

"Fuck-it," the sleaze-ball spits as he shoves Finn off him right into Rory. "Fucking drunk, foreigner, why don't you go back home and cock-block someone there?" He storms off muttering about lost money and opportunities.

"Thank you for that," Rory says with a grateful smile.

"I could have taken him," Paris says at the same time.

"I have no doubt, Love," Finn begins, sparking a glance at Paris's before focusing on Rory. "However, me mum would skin me alive if I didn't intervene when some bushranger tries to pack rape such lovely sheilas."

Rory flinches at the word rape. She was fairly sheltered, and naive about many things, the nickname Mary was accurate, part of why it hurt so much. Even she wasn't naive enough to take an opened drink from a stranger.

"I wasn't going to drink it," Rory says a bit defensively.

"I Donna think you would, Kitten," Finn says, brushing her hair back behind her ear. "Doesn't change that he was up to no good and over twice your size."

Rory notices his accent get less pronounced as he calmed down. "Thanks for the assist, Finn."

The Aussie looks surprised Rory knows his name. "How..."

"We met this afternoon by the coolers, " Rory begins blushing. "I heard your friends call out to you," she indicates over her shoulder.

"Oh, yea, Colin was being his normal stick up his ass self," Finn replies with an indulgent smile, his affection for his friend evident. "Let me walk you guys back to your hotel."

"Why, so you can, what was it, pack rape us instead?" Paris spits out. "I don't think so Crockodile Dundee, now caboose."

Rory looks at Finn, drooling over his physique under his cargo shorts and the white button up from this afternoon. "Sorry for her," she beings pointing toward Paris who was pacing angrily behind Finn. "It takes her a while to calm down when she's had to pull out the Kraft Maga."

She ignores Paris's snort, "Some other time, perhaps?"

"I'm here all week, Kitten," Finn smirks, places a chaste kiss on Rory's cheek before sauntering off back to his friends.

Rory presses her hand to her cheek, not understanding the tingly feeling left there. Paris brings Rory out of her moment.

"Let's go back to the hotel," Rory suggests knowing Paris had reached her limit. "Let's get Madeline and Louise and see what's happening a little closer to home."

Around two in the morning the four girls sit on the balcony of the hotel reminiscing about high school while drinking some random concoction Madeline mixed for them.

"I made these stronger," Madeline says as she places blue Solo cups in front of everyone.

"Whatever happened to that boyfriend of yours?" Louise asked.

"Who, Jess?" Rory asks, squinting to see Louise clearly.

"No,"

"Oh, Dean," Rory responds.

"Dean," Madeline says with a big smile.

"How's Dean? God he was gorgeous," Louise mutters into her cup.

"He's fine."

"Is he still gorgeous?" Madeline asks.

"Oh, yes, definitely yes," Rory slightly slurry while nodding her head.

"You two aren't together?" Louise asks, giving Rory a hard stare.

"No, actually he's married," Rory responded, eyes large in incredulity.

"Married?" Madeline and Louise ask. "How...novel," Louise adds on.

"Do you still talk?" Madeline asks.

"Yes, we're still friends," Rory says.

"Who is in her phone," Madeline singsongs as she continues to play with Rory's phone. "Oh, I think it beeped," she added smiling as Rory grabs her phone back.

"Dean, hi!" Rory begins, shooting daggers at Madeline before moving off to explain why she's calling him. When she gets back to the table she looks directly at Madeline, "I'm going to kill you, once I'm able to see just one of you."

She turns toward Paris who's sitting next to her, "I'm going for a walk, but when I get back, you're dead," she says turning toward Madeline and Louise.

"I'll go with you," Paris says getting up, pulling her towel around her shoulders.

The two women make their way to the beach, plopping down in the said about twenty feet from shore.

"So, are we done?" Paris asks after a moment.

"With what?" Rory asks.

"This whole spring break thing," Pairs responds before swaying, falling over and passing out.

"Oh, Paris," Rory mumbles before putting Paris on her side.

Once she's taken care of Paris, Rory turns her attention toward the ocean waves. She gets lost in her thoughts before being distracted by someone walking out of the shadows.

"Kitten, is that you?" Finn says as he steps in front of Rory.

"Finn?" Rory asks, "What are you doing out here?"

"I could ask you the same thing. Mind if I sit," he asks.

"Uh, sure," Rory says, moving her towel so Finn wouldn't have to sit on the sand. "How was your night? And, thank you again for helping us out at the club," she adds, leaning toward him drunkenly.

"It was no problem," Finn replied. "Why are you sitting out here? It's not very safe."

"I promised my mom I wouldn't fall out of any windows. Not that I was really near a window, but I was on the balcony and I'm sure she would see it as a window if I'd fallen over the railing because I'm sure she really meant, don't fall, and like kill yourself, though she was very specific to explain that she'd heard a news brief about someone falling out a window, or was it just some random thing that she said because she was trying to actually be a mom? And, I needed to get away from Madeline and Louise for a bit. They called my ex, who I'm friends with, but it was awkward because he's married, but we've been talking recently and it's been so nice, but it's not fair to Lindsey, 'cause she's really nice. But, he was mine first, right, so don't I have a right to talk to him, and you know, not that I would do anything that wasn't appropriate because I'm the good girl. Always the good girl."

"Wow, Kitten, did you even take a breath in there?" Finn asks, awed by her ability to rant.

"It's a gift I got from my mother," Rory replies with embarrassment.

"You have great lung capacity. I bet you're a fabulous at pashing," Finn replies with a wink.

"Pashing?"

"Kissing." Finn played with the bracelet on his wrist. "I can hold my breath for seven minutes. We'd have one hell of a make-out session."

"FINN!" Rory smacks his shoulder, blushing brightly and happy the shadows were deep on their section of the beach.

"Just teasing you, Kitten," Finn says. "So, what's this about your ex?"

"Oh, Dean," Rory struggles to get her thoughts together. "Yeah, we're friends, now, but it's still weird. I mean, there's a part of me that will always love him a little, he was my first boyfriend, after all. But I don't like relying on him because he's not mine anymore, you know? But, how do you walk that balance? We live in a small town, well, I live at school, but I'm back in my little town a lot, and there's no avoiding anyone, or anything, but I don't know." Rory wound down.

"Those are some big issues to think about, however, now might not be the best time to try to fix those. Why don't you let me walk you back to your room?" Finn points toward Paris who's lightly snoring to their right. "I can help you get your friend settled. I'm sure she's not comfy."

"Oh, she's very comfy at the moment," Rory laughed lightly. "If she's 'snuffling' she's in deep. I'd stand back for a moment; this could get dicey." Rory snickered as Finn got to his feet and moved off a few feet.

"Paris," Rory whispered. Getting no response, Rory nudges her friend and speaking louder. "Paris!" Still not getting a response, Rory takes a chance, pushing against Paris's leg. "PARIS!"

"What time is it, I'm not late am I? Where's my books?" Paris says as she quickly sits up. "Rory?" She questions holding her head.

"Calm down, Paris." Rory tries to comfort her friend now that Paris was awake. "We just need to get back to the hotel. Sleeping on the beach probably isn't a good thing."

"Sleep?" Paris asks as Rory helps her to stand. Neither girl notices as Finn moves to Paris's other side, taking the bulk of her weight onto himself.

The trio walk back toward the hotel, stumbling occasionally because the girls are still relatively drunk. Finally getting back to their room, Finn helps get Paris settled in her bed, covering her with the blanket.

"Do you have any Tylenol?" Finn asks as he adjusts Paris to her left side before placing the trash can at the side of the bed. "Water?"

"I have ibuprofen in my bag, but we're out of water," Rory says as she moves to her duffel tossing the bottle of pills towards Finn.

Finn opens the bottle, taking out four pills. He hands Rory two, placing the other two on the nightstand. "I'll go get a couple bottles. Make sure you drink it all, it will help in the morning," Finn suggests before leaving the room.

He comes back a few minutes later with four bottles of water. He places two next to the pills on the nightstand, handing Rory the other two. "Take the ibuprofen now and make sure to drink at least one of the bottles. When you wake up drink the second. It'll help with the hangover. And try to get Paris there to drink at least one of the bottles with the pills."

"You come to my rescue again," Rory says shyly as she turns her face away to hide her blush.

"All in an evening's work, Kitten," Finn says as he places his hand on the side of her face, turning Rory back toward him. "I'd really hate to see something bad happen to you. And your friend," he remembers to add on.

"So, why were you out on the beach tonight?" Rory asks as she tries to think of a way to get him to talk to her a bit longer.

"My mates found—company shall we say—for the evening and while the walls of our suite are thick, they're not sound-proofed" Finn said as he ran his hand through his hair. "That's something I'll be bringing up with my da when I talk to him next."

"What was that last part?" Rory asks because she'd been distracted by Paris mumbling in her sleep.

"Nothing important," Finn says a little louder. "Anyway, I wasn't feeling it, so I thought I'd take a walk and give them some privacy. Logan tends to pick loud ladies. If you know what I mean."

"Not exactly, since I'm still a virgin, but I once heard my mom and her, then, fiancé Max and it was a little weird," Rory responded, not realizing right away what she'd revealed.

"Why don't you seem as drunk as you were at the club? Granted it's been a while, and maybe you have a high tolerance, but it still seems you should be a lot drunker than you are," Rory rambled. "Oh, God, was that rude? That was rude, I'm so sorry, I don't mean to say that you're a drunk or anything, but you seem older than I am, and you were drinking at the club and, well, the stamp on your hand is the one for over twenty-one individuals, unless you did what Madeline and Louise did, but I doubt you'd do that. It was disgusting that they just licked the guys' hands, but I don't mean that you would do that, but maybe a girl's hand? IF she was pretty enough, I'm sure you'd do a lot more than that. Oh, God, there I go..."

"Hey, Kitten, breathe!" Finn interrupted Rory's ramble. "Man, what I would give to just test your lung capacity just once. But, given your untouched status, that wouldn't be advisable." Finn grew silent for a moment, running his hand through his hair again. "Oh, to be a different man, but alas I am but Finn Durham Morgan, and there are too many women in the world to settle down."

Rory blushes, realizing that what she thought had been said in her head was actually said out loud.

Finn, noticing Rory's pink cheeks, smiled a genuine smile before placing his hand on her cheek, "Oh, if only I were a commitment kind of guy. I'd pursue you so hard you'd give in just to get a break from my advances." He kisses her cheek before continuing, "Okay, Kitten, walk me to the door and lock up after you shove my arse out, kay?"

"Uh, sure," Rory stumbles, walking behind Finn as they make their way to the door.

"Give me your phone," Finn says suddenly just as he passes through the door.

"Why?" Rory asks as she hands over her phone.

"So I can give you my number, and when you feel like talking to that ex of yours you can call me instead. This way you won't potentially be ruining a marriage and I get to at least keep you as a friend," Finn says. "I'm not in the habit of doing that, but you're just too sweet to resist."

"Oh, that's nice of you," Rory says, watching as Finn puts his number into his phone. He then presses talk, pulling his own phone out of his pocket. "I like you too, Finn, and not just because you saved us tonight. You're a gentleman, and fun to talk to."

"Shh, don't let that get around, Kitten," Finn winks as he playfully looks around to see if she'd been overheard. "You'll ruin my rep and I can't disappoint the ladies." He touches her face with his hand one more time, staring into her eyes. "So mesmerizing," he whispers, leaning in until his lips are millimeters from hers. "Hmmm, one kiss couldn't hurt, could it?" Finn asks, leaning back to make sure Rory was okay with his advances.

Finn watches as Rory closes her eyes, licking her lips in the process. Not needing any more invitation, Finn moves back in and lightly brushes his lips across her own. It's a sweet kiss, nothing too sensual given that Rory was still pretty drunk, but it sparked something within Finn. "Yep, definitely wishing I were a commitment guy. Night, Kitten. Lock the door."

Rory watched, dazed, as Finn stepped back, executing a military precision turn before bounding down the stairs. She watches as he steps off the lasts stair then turns back to look up toward her room. She smiles as he gives a jaunty wave and one last wink before disappearing down the beach. With a sigh Rory closes and locks the door, adding a chair underneath the handle just for good measure before slipping into her bed still fully clothed. Her last thought before slipping into slumber was about the kiss and the laughing green-blue eyes of her savior.


	2. Chapter 2 Talking with Finn

When Rory got back to Yale she dives right back into her classes. A couple weeks after getting back she goes to see her professor to try to find out what she made on her paper.

"Why don't you just wait a moment while I get your paper," the professor says after Rory has tried to convince him she simply wanted clarification on her notes. "Ah, yes, here it is."

"A C, I got a C?" Rory asks incredulously. "How could I get a C?"

"Well, you handled the first part quite well, then you segued into something that had nothing to do with the topic," the professor states simply. "It's as if you padded your paper with information from another course."

"No, that's not what—" Rory begins.

"Look, I've seen it before, an overzealous student takes on too many courses," the professor says.

"But I have to take five classes. My grandfather took five classes."

"I've spoken with your advisor, and she agrees with me," the professor continues, ignoring Rory's comments. "We both think you should drop this course. Look, it happens. You still have time to drop the course and pick it up some other time."

"Um, okay, thank you," Rory mumbles as she turns to leave the professor's office.

When Rory got back to her dorm room she was nearing panic. There was no way she could drop a course. Her grandparents would never understand. She thinks over her options as she sits on the sofa in the common room. A knock on the door brings her out of her misery. Opening the door she's shocked to see Dean standing outside with a big bookshelf sitting next to the door.

"Uh, hi, Dean," Rory stutters. "What are you doing here?"

"Hey, Rory," Dean responds, "Your mom asked me to bring this bookcase to you. It doesn't work at the inn, so she thought you might be able to use it."

"Oh, sure. Come on in," Rory steps aside, motioning for Dean to come in. "We can just put it in my room. See where it fits."

Dean follows her into her room, looking around in wonder. "Um, I don't think it'll fit," he says after a moment.

"Yeah, I think you're right," Rory agrees. "Maybe my mom can put it in my room at home."

"Okay, well, I'll take it back and let her know your suggestion," Dean says as he moves back through the common room. "Uh, Rory, are you all right?"

"Not really, but I don't want to bother you with my petty problems," Rory says while running her hand through her hair. "It's just—nothing, Never mind."

"Rory," Dean begins as he places the bookshelf next to the open door. He turns back toward Rory, running his hand up and down her arm. "I hope you know you can always talk to me, right? We're still friends and I still care about you."

"I know," Rory responds before stepping back into her room. "I'm fine, really."

"Okay, but the offer's still there," Dean says as he bends slightly to lift the bookshelf. "Call me if you need to talk."

"Thanks, Dean," Rory says softly as she closes the door. She leans her head against it for a moment before moving back to her bedroom. She picks up her phone, hovering her hand over the buttons before pressing speed dial four.

She gets comfortable on her bed as the phone rings. On the third ring she hears the voice that always makes her happy.

"Well, well, if it isn't my little Kitten," Finn says over the line. "How are you, Love? For what do I owe this call to today?"

"Oh, Finn," Rory sighs as she finally lets go of her frustration with a quiet sob.

"Kitten," Finn says, more serious now. "What's going on? What's wrong? Tell the Finnster what's got you so distraught this lovely day."

"Finn, it's snowing here," Rory laughs out. Finn somehow always manages to make her feel better about her life. "I've just had a rough day. One of my professors suggested that I drop his course."

"That doesn't sound so bad," Finn responds. "I've had to drop a course or two over my college career."

"You don't understand, I'm a Gilmore," Rory gets out. "We don't quit. My grandpa took five classes, why can't I handle five classes."

"Maybe it's not the course load, but the particular classes you're taking?" Finn suggests.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, what class is it that your professor is telling you to drop?" Finn sighs. "Maybe it's a class you don't really need, or one that should be taken after some other classes to help with this one."

"Oh, it's Game Theory," Rory huffs out as she snuggles further into the pillows.

"Crickey, why are you taking that, Kitten?" Finn asks. "Especially as a freshman? Even senior business majors have a hard time with game theory."

"Well, I'm minoring in business since I'll probably one day inherit my grandfather's insurance company. Not that I want to run it or anything, but I figure having some background knowledge in business will be helpful for me to make decisions when the time comes," Rory rambles.

"Okay, so why did you want to take this class your freshman year?" Finn asks, confused.

"I don't know, I guess I just thought it would be a challenge. Ya, know?" Rory says, picking at the edge of the decorative pillow her mother insisted she needed for her bed.

"There are other ways to challenge yourself, Kitten," Finn says shuffling around his room to finish getting ready.

"You're probably getting ready to head out for a night of debauchery. I should let you go, "Rory says after a few moments of silence. She's able to hear him shuffling through things, assuming he's looking for the right outfit to catch some redhead's eye.

"I've got all the time in the world, Kitten," Finn says as he settles back onto his bed. "My clothes are ready to go, and it'll take me but a few minutes to shower. I'm here for you."

"That's sweet, Finn, but I don't want to bother you," Rory says as she continues playing with the edge of the pillow. "I know my problems probably seem silly, especially since you're not in school this year. I'm sorry to bother you."

"Okay, Rory," Finn says sitting up, "Listen, you're not a bother. If I didn't want to talk to you I wouldn't answer. I gave you my number for a reason, Kitten. You intrigue me and I want to be friends. Be there for you."

"Thank you, Finn," Rory sighs. "I've been feeling so lost since spring break. And this professor suggesting I drop his course is just one more straw. I'm afraid I'm going to break."

"You won't break, Kitten. I won't let you," Finn assures Rory. "Listen, I have a friend who took Game Theory last year. I could give him your email, or phone number and maybe he can help you. Just don't fall for his charms," Finn adds, laughing a little.

"I'm on a guy hiatus," Rory reminds Finn. "And any help I could get for this class would be most welcome. I'm not a quitter."

"Okay, his name is Robert. Do you want me to give him your personal email, or your school one?" In a previous conversation the two learned they both attended Yale, or would in the fall when Finn, Colin, and Logan were back on campus.

"School email, definitely. I try to only give friends my personal email. Not that a I don't think Robert might become a friend, but it's school related, so might as well keep it organized in that way," Rory begins to rant. She pauses, taking a deep breath to keep from rambling even more.

"Okay, Kitten, I'll give Robert your email and ask him to help you out," Finn says. "So, tell me what you're going to do this weekend for fun. You need to take a break from the books and enjoy the college experience."

"I'm actually going home for the weekend. There's a festival I want to go to," Rory admits.

"You're town seems to have a lot of festivals. You'll have to bring me home with you next year when I'm back on campus," Finn responds. "I'll let you go so you can start packing. Talk to you later, Kitten."

"Later, Finn," Rory says. "Don't get so wasted that you can't find your way back to your room," she adds, giggling at the thought of Finn wandering around looking for the right hotel.

"One time," Finn grouses. "You get lost one time and no one lets you forget it."

"Never," Rory retorts. "Night, Finn."

"Night, Kitten."

"'Lo?" Rory answers her phone, half asleep. She glances toward the clock and groans when she realizes it's four in the morning.

"KITTEN!" Finn yells into the phone.

Rory moves her phone away from her ear, wondering how drunk Finn is. She talked to him earlier, well the previous evening, she thinks since their conversation took place before midnight. "Finn, where are you?" She asks worriedly.

"Don't worry, Kitten, I'm safe in my room," Finn slurs. "The boys put me to bed, so to speak, before going to their own rooms with their dates for the evening."

"And where's your date, Finn?" Rory asks. Several times Finn had called Rory when he 'wasn't feeling it' as he put it. She often wondered if he was as promiscuous as he said he was.

"Oh, she left me for another high roller," Finn wines. "Something about my accent was off-putting."

"Idiot," Rory says with a laugh. "Obviously she doesn't have any taste," she adds.

"I like the way you think, Kitten," Finn says. "I'm sorry if I woke you up," he adds as he glances at the clock. "I forget it's later for you than it is for us in Vegas."

"When did you move on to Vegas?" Rory asks. "I thought you were going to stay in Florida until you boys had to go work for your fathers."

"Well, that was the plan," Finn mumbles.

"What are you doing, Finn? You suddenly sound far away."

"Just getting ready for bed, Kitten, nothing to worry about," Finn says, his voice once again becoming clear.

"Boxers or briefs?" Rory asks, sitting up in bed, propping her pillow behind her back. "Or are you more the feety pajamas type of guy?"

"Now, Kitten, you know I'm not that kind of boy," Finn replies. "Just a sec. Okay, now I can just focus on you."

"So, if you're not in feety pajamas, are you a boxers or briefs kind of guy?" Rory asks again. This was a continuation of their twenty questions game, though Rory thinks he may not remember they started the game during their last conversation. Even though it had only been a few hours.

"For daily wear? I'm more of a boxer brief kind of guy," Finn answers. "For sleeping? I like sleeping in the buff. Less restricting."

"Oh, well, okay then," Rory manages to get out. Thinking about her friend being naked on the other end of the phone was doing weird things to her head. "So, um...right now you're—"

"Naked as the day I was born. Does that excite you, Rory?" Finn's voice drops an octave. "I can prove it to you."

"No, that's, I mean, well, um—" Rory stumbles. Before she can complete a thought, telling Finn she didn't need a picture she heard him laughing.

"Just teasing, Kitten," Finn says with even more of a slur. "Has Robert been treating you well? I told him if he was his usual ass-hat self I'd pound him next time I saw him, so he better be treating you like fucking gold!"

"Finnster, you big softy," Rory giggles. She talked to Finn enough when he was drunk that she was no longer embarrassed when he used such rough language. "Robert has been an absolute gentleman and a godsend in relation to Game Theory. I've managed to pull my grade up to an A-, so I owe you and Robert big time. What can I do to repay your kindness?"

"Well, if you were here," Finn starts before shutting his mouth, realizing too late that this was his 'friend' Rory, not some random girl he's picked up for the night. "Sorry, Kitten, habit," he adds.

"I was thinking more along the lines of a bottle of scotch, or some imported chocolates," Rory stutters. She tries not to think 'dirty' thoughts about her friend. Yeah, he was majorly hot, but he had become a great friend since March and she doesn't want to ruin that.

"For Robert, scotch is the best way to go. Have your grandfather get you a good bottle, I'm sure he won't object when you tell him what it's for," Finn says. "I really am sorry for waking you up, Kitten. Want me to sing to you while you go back to sleep?"

"Why did you call me, Finn?" Rory asks as she snuggles back into her blankets. Her voice is soft as she's starting to fall back asleep.

"I just wanted to hear your voice," Finn whispers. "You calm me in a way I don't understand."

"You too, Finn," Rory whispers back. "You always know what to say, or what not to say when I'm freaking out or having a bad day. Thank you for being my friend."

"Yeah, right back at ya," Finn manages to get out. Rory smiles as she hears Finn's little snores. She closes her eyes, letting the sound lull her back to sleep.

"Finn?"

"Rory? Is that you?" Finn asks as he moves off from his friends to try to find a quiet place to talk.

"Um—"

"Rory, what's going on? Are you hurt?" Finn asks, worried when he only hears quiet sobbing coming through the phone. "Kitten, you've got to talk to me. You're worrying me."

"I, oh god, Finn, what have I done?" Rory sobs through the phone.

"Are you physically hurt, Kitten?" Finn asks as he gets Colin and Logan's attention and pointing toward the balcony.

"I—I'm fine, I'm sorry, I didn't know who else to call," Rory says.

Finn hears her taking in ragged breaths, trying to control her tears he thinks. "Are you safe? Take a deep breath for me," Finn suggests. "In...out...in...out." After a few more deep breaths he hears Rory quit sobbing, merely snuffling here and there. "Okay, Kitten, tell me what's going on."

"My mom had her opening of the inn tonight with the town and she asked me to run home to get some CDs so people had music if they wanted it," Rory begins.

"That doesn't sound so bad, Kitten," Finn responds.

"Well, earlier today I ran into Dean in the hallway of the inn. We started talking, and he was asking how I was feeling after the horrendous non-date I went on with someone my grandmother introduced me to. The jerk left me stranded at the pub, I couldn't get a hold of my mom, so I called Dean to see if he could come pick me up because I didn't have money for a cab, and he did. Come pick me up I mean. It was nice having dinner, on the stupid guy, with him and, like I said, Dean asked how I was after that, and we almost had a moment. If Tom hadn't called him away, I'm sure he would have kissed me, and part of me wanted that. You know, just to feel something nice and comfortable."

Finn hears her start to cry again, so he gives her a few moments to collect herself. "But you didn't kiss him, right?" he asks.

"No, we got interrupted, but then when I came home to get the CDs he must have followed me, or something, but we were in my room, and there was all this tension from earlier, and when he leaned in, I just got lost for a moment. He kissed me and I kissed him back. We fell onto my bed, messing it up a bit, but then I heard my mom come in, and I pushed him off. His belt, or something must have gotten stuck on my blanket, because it fell off the bed onto the floor, and when my mom came into the kitchen she saw us standing in my doorway looking guilty, and she thinks I slept with him, but I didn't. I swear. I'm not sure if we would have or not if we hadn't gotten interrupted, but I didn't. But she doesn't believe me, and Dean just ran off, not even trying to explain, and now my mom thinks I'm a slut, and maybe I am because I did kiss him back and we were on my bed—"

"Okay, Rory, calm down," Finn starts. "That's a lot of information to take in at one time. So, deep breath. In…out…in…out." Finn listens as Rory breathes through her panic, one again managing to stop the tears. "Where are you?" Finn nods to Colin and Logan when they come through the doors leading to the balcony. He motions with his hand for Colin to call the jet and get it ready. He's not sure why, but he feels this overwhelming need to go to Rory, to make sure she's really okay.

"Finn?"

"I'm right here, Kitten. Are you somewhere safe? Can you maybe go wash your face and lay down?" He's hoping she's still at her house. "I'll stay on the phone with you as long as you need me to."

"Oh, Finn, what would I do without a friend like you?" Rory asks. Finn hears her close a door, hopefully her front door. "Okay, I'm washing my face. Give me a few minutes."

He hears her put him on speaker. Water's running in the background and he covers the mouthpiece of his phone for a moment. "Is the jet ready?" he asks Colin when the two men walk closer to him.

"Yeah," Colin whispers. He's not sure what's going on, but knows it's probably not a good idea to let the other person on the phone know he can hear. "We just need to tell the pilot where we're going so he can file the flight plan."

"Hartford," Finn lets the guys know before turning his attention back to the phone. "Kitten, what are you doing now?"

"I'm laying down, snuggled up with that koala bear you sent me last week for surviving my freshman year."

"Okay, do you need me to stay on the phone with you until you fall asleep?" he asks. He sees Colin nod toward him out of the corner of his eye.

"No, I think I'm okay now, Finnster. Thank you for letting me freak out on you." Rory's voice gets softer at the end. "I'm just going to take a little nap then go back to the inn and try to explain what did and didn't happen to mom. I hope she believes me."

"She'd be a fool not to, Kitten," Finn says, trying to comfort her as best he could. He isn't sure how much Lorelai knows about the non relationship between Rory and Dean. Rory has told him repeatedly how hard it has been to catch up with her mom, so there was a chance that the older Gilmore would believe what she saw instead of what she should know about her daughter.

"Thank you, Finn. In case I haven't said it enough, you are one of my best friends. I love you," Rory whispers as she falls asleep.

"I love you too, Kitten," Finn whispers back, pretty sure Rory was already sleeping and didn't hear his declaration. "I'll see you soon," he adds before closing his phone and going over to his friends.

"Why are we going back to Hartford?" Logan asks, a put upon look on his face. "We still have a week before we have to go work with/for our fathers man. I don't want to see Mitchum until I have to."

"You don't have to see the Dark Lord if you don't want to," Finn explains as he leads the two men out of the party. "You can stay at my apartment. I just need to get back to help out a friend."

"A girlfriend," Colin says, thinking about the many times he's walked in on Finn talking with his 'friend' from spring break.

"She's a girl, yes, but she's just a friend. She's having a tough go of it at the moment and could use some support." As he slides into the waiting car he continues, "You two can do what you want in Hartford, hell, go to New York if you want. I can always get a room at one of the hotels, but I'm going to help my friend."


	3. Chapter 3 Fallout and Recovery

AN: So this chapter didn't come out quite like I thought it would. I expected to get through the next day, but Finn just wouldn't keep to himself. I know Lorelai probably comes off a little OOC here, but I remember she was pretty tough on Rory when the Dean affair happened, so I don't think it's too far out there.

Please let me know what you think. I've appreciated all the reviews so far. They motivate me to write when I should be studying. 😊

Chapter 3: Fallout and Recovery

Rory wakes up an hour later, looking at her clock through bleary eyes. She decides to head back to the Dragonfly, knowing that her mother would still be up checking on every minor detail. She just hopes that the conversation goes better than it had earlier.

As she walks through the town, Rory ponders what she should do about Dean. He had an obligation to stay faithful to his vows to his wife, but she had to take responsibility too. She kissed him back after all. When she gets to the front of the inn, she notices Jason storming out of the front door and practically running to his car. She makes a halfhearted attempt to wave at him but notices her mother on the front porch, so she quickly moves to stop her from going back into the inn.

"Mom," Rory begins as she climbs the few steps, "we need to have a talk."

"Yeah, I think we do," Lorelai replies sternly. "I can't believe you, Rory. He's married for god's sake. I taught you better than that."

"Mom, we just kissed," Rory tries to explain. "Yeah, maybe it would have gone further, but I heard you come in and put the brakes on." Rory moves to the porch swing, flopping into the seat in exasperation. "We'll never know what would have happened if you hadn't come home, but I'd like to think I would have stopped."

"Rory," Lorelai sighs, "This isn't you. Lying to me, sleeping with a married man. Maybe you should go stay with Christopher this summer."

"What?" Rory asks dumbfounded. "You're banishing me to Boston because I KISSED my ex-boyfriend? How is that fair?"

"I think you and Dean need some distance and, well," Lorelai hems, "I mean, he has his family here."

"And I don't?" Rory asks through tears. "Why don't you just put a damn scarlet A on my shirts and be done with it," she nearly screams.

"I think that's a little extreme, Rory. The fact of the matter is, he lives here. With this wife. He has a job his FAMILY depends on." Lorelai leans against the railing. "Yes, you have friends here, and me, of course, but really you're more free to move around. Go somewhere else for the summer. Let this thing with Dean cool down. Get your head on straight."

"Oh My God! I can't talk to you when you're like this," Rory says as she gets up off the swing. "One day you're going to realize that you were wrong about what happened tonight. I hope I still care," Rory adds as she stomps down the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Lorelai asks as she turns to watch her daughter.

"I can't be in the same place as you right now," Rory says, pausing to face her mother. "I'm going to go sleep at home. In the bed I DIDN'T have sex in tonight."

"What should I tell your grandparents when they ask where you are in the morning," Lorelai asks her daughter.

"Whatever you want. Tell them I ran away from home," Rory says as she turns and walks down the driveway. "I'll come back in the morning to have breakfast with THEM," Rory tosses out before disappearing from view.

Finn decides when they land in Hartford to wait until morning to go visit Rory. It would give him time to figure out how to get to her little hamlet as well as not freak anyone out. He knows that just showing up will probably cause a bit of stir.

"Should I call or text her to let her know I'm in town?" He asks his friends as the car he'd ordered takes them to his apartment.

"Is she going to freak out if you just show up?" Colin asks. Logan sits next to Finn, nursing a glass of scotch, and sulking at being back in Hartford.

"I don't think so," Finn begins. "I mean, we've talked several times a week since spring break. Plus, we've both mentioned me going home with her to see her little town. It sounds charming."

"Yeah but going home with her and just showing up out of the blue are two different things," Colin argues. "I mean, doesn't it seem a bit stalkerish to just show up?"

"That's not what I'm doing," Finn argues. "I'm just worried about her. You didn't hear her on the phone tonight. She was crushed."

"Text her and let her know you're coming," Logan finally offers. "That way she has the option of saying not to come. If she's as upset as you say, you surprising her might be too much."

"I can't believe I'm going to agree with Logan," Colin says. "How does someone who doesn't see the same girl twice have such knowledge."

"Fuck you, Colin," Logan says without heat. "I have a sister. Trust me, text her."

"All right," Finn agrees as he pulls out his phone. He quickly shoots off a text, letting Rory know that he's back in Hartford and would like to visit her in the morning.

Ten minutes later the car pulls up to Finn's apartment building. Since he hasn't gotten a text back from Rory, he assumes she's already sleeping. He sends one more text to let her know that if he hasn't heard from her by eight, he will drive to Stars Hollow.

Looking at his friends once they all settle into the apartment Finn lets them know what he plans. "Okay, mates, I've let her know if I don't hear from her by eight, I'll just show up. You two," he says pointing at Colin and Logan who have stretched out on the sofa, "can decide if you want to hang around Hartford, New Haven, or if you want me to book you into a suite in New York. Just let me know which of the hotels you want if you choose New York."

"New York reduces the likelihood of running into Mitchum, so I vote for the city," Logan says, his eyes closed as he rubs his forehead.

"I really don't care," Colin offers. "Though, New Haven right now would be too quiet, I think. The semester's ended, and summer session hasn't started yet."

"Sounds good," Finn acknowledges as he moves toward his bedroom. "Let me know which of the family holdings you want to stay at in the morning. I'm nackered."

"Same rooms?" Colin shouts toward his friend before Finn's able to close the door.

"Yeah, unless you want to share," Finn says as he laughs.

"Colin snores," Logan shoots back. "And I don't like to cuddle," he adds to Colin before getting up and moving to one of two guest bedrooms.

Rory wakes up in the middle of the night, sure she's heard something just outside her window. Moving the window, she pulls the shade up, surprised when she sees Dean standing there about to tap on the window again. She motions for him to go to the back door, all the while wondering what he could want. _Did he come to finish what was started earlier?_ She wonders as she moves to the kitchen, unlocking the back door and stepping onto the porch.

"What are you doing here, Dean?" Rory asks, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay, Rory," Dean says, stepping toward her, stopping only when she holds up her hand to stop him from getting any closer. "I heard a bit of what Lorelai said and I wanted to make sure you were okay," he finishes lamely, rubbing his hands down his jeans.

"I'm fine, Dean," Rory says with an exasperated sigh. "Go home to your wife." She turns to go back inside, but Dean's hand on her shoulder stops her.

"Rory, I still love you. Things aren't working out with Lindsey. My marriage is over." Dean puts both hands on her shoulders and turns Rory towards him. Once she's facing him again, he moves his right hand to her cheek, caressing her softly. "Lindsey and I are getting a divorce. We can be together, Rory. Just like it should have been."

Once again, Rory steps back, but Dean doesn't let her go. "Dean, stop. Let me go. The fact is, you're still married, and I don't want to be the other woman."

"Rory, you're not the other woman, Lindsey is," Dean says, gripping her shoulder harder to make sure Rory doesn't leave. "You know you love me, Rory. You wouldn't have kissed me earlier tonight if you didn't."

"Dean, I'm sorry," Rory says as she manages to break his hold on her. She winces slightly, thinking she will probably have a bruise.

"You don't have to be sorry," Dean starts, but pauses when Rory holds up her hand.

"Let me finish, Dean," Rory manages to get out. She backs up to the door, opening it slightly in case she needs to slip inside quickly. "I'm sorry if you still have feelings for me and you thought I returned those feelings. I'll admit it felt nice spending time with you—"

"So, let's spend some more time together," Dean cuts her off, trying to pull her to him.

"Dean," Rory practically yells, looking quickly toward Babette and Mory's home to see if they heard her. Feeling safe that her neighbors were still sleeping, Rory continues, "I was going to say, while I love spending time with you, and I have love for you as a friend, I realized something tonight after fighting with my mom. I was lonely and unsure about some things at school, and I let myself fall into you as a safety net."

"Rory—" Dean begins.

"No, let me finish. I'm not in love with you, Dean. You're not mine to love anymore no matter what your relationship is or isn't with Lindsey. You're married, and you owe your allegiance to your wife. I'm not going to say anything to her, I probably won't even be in town this summer, but you know how things are here. Nothing ever stays hidden, no matter what you try. I suggest you tell her and beg for forgiveness."

"But, Rory—" Dean begins again. "I want to be with you." He pulls her to him and tries to kiss her again.

"Dean, stop!" Rory yells. "Go home, Dean, and don't come back," she yells again as she wrenches herself from his hold, knowing that she will definitely have a bruise this time on her upper arm, but just wanting to escape. She backs into the door, shutting it and throwing both locks.

"This isn't over, Rory," Dean yells through the door. "I'll always love you!"

Rory ignores his shouting, figuring he would give up, hopefully before he wakes Babette and Mory up. She goes to the living room, checking to make sure the front door is locked along with the windows. She then moves to her bedroom, making sure her window is locked and pulling the shade back down. She moves to lay down on her bed, picking up her phone to check for messages, hoping that her mom called while she was sleeping.

Instead she sees the text from Finn. _What__'s he doing in Hartford_, she wonders as she prepares to text him back.

**Hey, meeting with the grands for breakfast in the morning at the inn. Meet me around 10? -R**

Moments later she gets a text back from Finn.

**Sounds good, Kitten. Why are you up at 2 in the morning? - F**

Rory sighs, thinking about how much to tell Finn about Dean's visit. Sure, the Aussie knew about what has been happening, but Rory also knows that Finn didn't like Dean and sometimes plotted having him removed to a remote location. When Finn went on those rants, she tuned out just a bit. Just in case he really did have connections and did something to Dean. Plausible deniability is a great thing. Deciding she would tell him eventually anyway, she hits Speed Dial 3 knowing that it would take too long to explain via text.

"Morning, Kitten," Finn answers, a husky timbre in his voice. "Couldn't wait until the morning to hear my voice?"

"While I love the sound of your voice," Rory begins, "I'm really calling because it would take too long to explain why I'm up in a text."

"Before I begin, I want you to know that I'm fine. I handled the situation and it's done," Rory explains.

"This isn't making me feel the warm fuzzies, Luv," Finn interrupts. "What's going on?"

"So, after I got off the phone with you, my mom and I had a big fight. HUGE! She even suggested I leave town because he lives here with his wife and needs to work for his family, and I'm free to move around. She wants to banish me to my dad's in Boston," Rory rants.

"While I don't agree with her reasoning, being somewhere else for the summer isn't necessarily a bad thing," Finn argues. "You could come with me while I visit the family holdings," he offers.

"That's very sweet of you Finn, but my entire family would pitch a fit if I went off to Europe with someone I've only met once." Rory hears rustling through the phone and imagines Finn moving around to get more comfortable, much like she was doing. Getting the pillows behind her back just right, she continues, "I'll probably go visit my dad and little sister in Boston for a few, then maybe stay in Hartford with my grandparents. Or I could take summer classes, get ahead and graduate early."

"Now, don't do anything rash there, Kitten," Finn admonishes. "Summer break is there for a reason. All study and no play makes Rory a shell of her gorgeous self."

"You sweet talker," Rory replies with a blush even though Finn wouldn't be able to see it. "Anyway, that's not what I called about. I'll figure out something," Rory says.

"So, after my confrontation with my mom I couldn't stay at the inn with her," Rory continues. "I came home and decided to sleep here, giving both of us a chance to cool down. Anyway, I'd been asleep for a few hours when I was woken by a noise outside my window." Rory pauses for a moment to catch her breath. Just thinking about what happened with Dean caused her pulse to race. "It was Dean, and so I went outside to talk with him. To find out what he wanted. He went on about how he loved me, wanted to be with me, and how his marriage was over. When I told him, I didn't feel the same way about him anymore, he tried to kiss me. He wouldn't let me go, and—"

"That bastard put his hands on you?" Finn nearly screams. "That's it, I'm gonna wake the guys and we'll be there soon. No one puts hands on a woman. Ever."

Rory hears more rustling on Finn's side of the phone and hurries to try to calm him down. "Finn, that's not necessary. I got away from him and got inside and locked the door. He yelled through the door for a few minutes about not letting me go, but he eventually left."

"Is anyone home with you?" Finn asks.

"No," Rory says quietly. "I went around and made sure all the doors and windows were locked."

"That's it," Finn growls. "I'm on my way, stay on the phone with me so I know you're safe."

"Finn, that's not—"

"Listen, Kitten," Finn says as he scribbles a note for Logan and Colin before leaving the apartment. "I'm not going to let you stay there without someone to protect you. That ex of yours sounds off his rocker and I don't want to find out in the morning that he came back and hurt you."

"Okay," Rory says in a small voice. Secretly she's happy he's coming. Dean had scared her, something she never thought possible. "Thank you, Finn. You're the best."

"At a lot of things," Finn smirks while trying to lighten the mood. "Now, when I get into your little burg, how do I find your house?"

"Well, you'll have to turn right at Monty, then it's the third house on the right. Yellow, two story with a wraparound porch."

"And Monty would be?" Finn questions.

"Uh, the big rooster. You can't miss him," Rory says.

"Of course, there'd be a rooster. What, your town couldn't find a cow?" Finn is in his Navigator, breaking speeding laws as he rushes to get to his friend. He's not sure what it was about Rory Gilmore that captivated him so much. She was beautiful, that couldn't be denied, but it went beyond the blue eyes that pulled him in. Their conversations over the phone were more intimate than the things he did with the ladies he and his friends picked up. In those conversations were hopes, dreams, frustrations, and understanding. He hasn't had that since his sister decided to stay in Australia to go to uni.

"Finn, you still there," Rory asks hesitantly. He'd been quiet for several minutes and she worries he may have had an accident or dropped the call.

"Right here, Kitten," Finn says. "I just got lost in my own musings there for a minute. Okay, I see Monty, that's a pretty big rooster there, Luv."

Rory giggles. Many people comment on Monty, but the citizens of Stars Hollow love him so he stays. "Well, at least you didn't say what I thought you would."

"What, something 'dirty' like what a big cock your town has?" Finn chuckles. "Is that what you were hoping for, Kitten?"

"There's the sex obsessed man I know and love," Rory says with a smile. Over the last two and a half months, she and Finn have discussed so much about themselves, his wild and crazy boarding school days, his first two years at Yale that were even wilder, and the sinking of the Huntzberger yacht that scared him more than he thought it would.

"I rather think of myself as something of a connoisseur when the fairer sex is involved," Finn replies, pulling into the driveway and shutting off the SUV. "I'm here," he whispers as he gets out of the automobile. "Meet me at the door?"

"Already there," Rory replies before opening the door. She closes her phone, quickly stuffing it into her hoodie before running down the stairs and jumping into Finn's arms. "I'm so glad you came," she whispers into his ear.

"Nowhere else to be, Kitten," Finn whispers back, holding her tight to his chest, soaking up her excitement. He breathes a sigh of relief that she's okay before he reluctantly lets her go, moving back slightly to see how she really is.

When he moves his hands down her arms, he notices she winces. "Kitten, what's wrong?" Without waiting for a response, Finn pushes her hoodie sleeve down her arm, letting the material hang loosely in the crook of her elbow. She's wearing a tank top underneath and he sees the mark on her arm that Dean had left. He takes several deep breaths before he's able to speak. "Did that ratbag do this to you?"

"I'm going to assume you mean Dean. He did. I don't think he realized it though."

"Doesn't matter, Kitten, he had no right to put his hands on you without permission." Finn, pissed beyond belief, continues to take deep breaths to calm down. "Where is he?"

"Finn," Rory pleads, "Let's go inside and talk. Promise me you won't do anything stupid. I don't want you to get in trouble." She pulls him into the house, locking the door behind them in order to keep Finn inside.

When Finn settles on the sofa Rory asks, "Do you want anything to drink?"

"Unless you have some scotch lying around, I'm good." Finn pats the cushion beside him. "Come sit with me." When Rory sits, he wraps his arms around her, pulling her flush to his side.

After a few quiet moments Rory asks, "Why did you interrupt your trip? Why did you come here?"

"You needed me," Finn replies simply.

"But you don't really know me, we only met once," Rory retorts. Even as she questions Finn, she continues to snuggle into his side, soaking up the warmth.

"We may have only met once, but I would argue that we know each other quite well," Finn says as he gently runs his hand up and down her arm. "You know things about me that my best mates don't even know," he adds.

"That's true, but I guess I just don't understand why you would cut your time in Vegas short. I'm sure Colin and Logan weren't happy to be leaving."

"Logan definitely didn't want to come home. The Dark Lord is in Hartford and the thought of running into him before he absolutely has to has Logan running scared." Finn smiles thinking about his friend running from a cartoon version of Mitchum Huntzberger.

"Colin was more circumspect," Finn adds after a moment. "He was more curious that I was going to help a friend who was a girl."

"So, he thinks you shagged me and just came to help because you want to shag me again?" Rory asks, shifting so she's sitting with her back against the arm of the sofa, pulling her legs under her.

"Something like that, though I've never said we've been physical," Finn tells Rory. He moves so his back is against the arm of the sofa, mimicking Rory's position. "I've only said we've talked, and both have heard bits and pieces of our conversations, so I'm not sure why he persists on thinking there's more to our friendship."

"Probably because it's unusual for any of you to have a relationship with a woman without it being physical/sexual in some way," Rory says. "How many friends do you have who are female and there's no sexual tension?"

"Stephanie. And Honor," Finn responds.

Rory addresses the second name first, "Honor is Logan's sister. While you probably had a teenage crush on her when you were younger, I seriously doubt any of you would seriously pursue her." Rory twirls a finger in the air before addressing the second name. "And, correct me if I'm wrong, but Colin is dating, or at least shagging Stephanie on the regular am I right?"

At Finn's nod in the affirmative, Rory continues, "Colin would have your balls if you made a pass at Stephanie. Not to mention, you've known her, as well as the boys, since you were all in diapers if I'm not mistaken."

"No, you're right, we've known each other all our lives. We've vacationed together, suffered through pox together, and many other things," Finn acknowledges before carrying on, "and there may have been the odd crush or two, but Colin would kill all of us if we dared look at Steph in any way but sisterly."

"So, neither of those women count," Rory says with glee. "Anyone else you're friends with, and there's no sexual tension?" Rory asks before adding, "That you're not related to either?"

"Well—" Finn stumbles.

"Ha! I win," Rory shouts thrusting her fist in the air. "Now, how long are you planning on staying?"

"Here at your house, or in the area in general?" Finn asks.

"Well, I was thinking in the general sense of the Hartford area, but either works."

"The answer to both is: For as long as you need me," Finn says simply reaching out to grasp Rory's hands in his. "I'm serious when I say I'm here for whatever you need. Beat up Dean? I'm there. Tell you mother to shut it? I'll do it, but I want nursing care after she beats me with her shoes."

Rory laughs at that comment, earning a smile from Finn. "I love it when you laugh. It's such a happy sound, and now I can tell it goes to your eyes and makes them just sparkle like sapphires. I'll be able to imagine that the next time we're on the phone."

"Oh, Finn," Rory blushes. "You're such a sweet talker. It's no wonder you're able to get into so many girls' panties."

Now it was Finn's turn to blush. "Why, Gilmore, I didn't think you had it in you?"

"What?" Rory asks with innocence.

"To make such a sexually loaded comment," Finn says. "So, what do you need from your Finnster? I'm at your service."

"Would you mind staying the night?" Rory asks as she stares down at her hands that are still in Finn's. "I admit, Dean scared me a little tonight and I'd just feel safer if someone else was in the house."

"I'm all yours," Finn says with a wink and a playful leer.

"Oh, but I couldn't deny all the red-heads out there the opportunity to be yours." Rory smiles at her friend. She really did feel safer with him in the house.

"Those girls are nothing compared to you, Kitten," Finn says sincerely. "I've told you before, I'll always be here if you need me. So, am I surfing the sofa, or is there an extra bed somewhere for this fabulous body to sleep on?"

"There's actually a trundle under my bed, so, I can take that, and you can have my bed," Rory says.

"Nonsense, Kitten," Finn says as he stands and holds out his hand to Rory, "I'll take the trundle. I'm used to sleeping close to the floor. Hell, on the floor more than I care to admit."

"Okay, but you have to let me buy you breakfast in the morning," Rory counters. "Or, better still, you can come with me to have breakfast with my grandparents at the inn."

"Are you sure that'll be okay, Kitten?" Finn asks as Rory leads him through the home to the kitchen, turning right to go into what he realizes is her bedroom. "Nice decorating," Finn smirks as he looks at all the Yale memorabilia.

"It used to be all Crimson Harvard colors," Rory replies with a blush. "Um, I have some sweats I bought for my dad but haven't given to him yet if you want to borrow them to sleep in. Unless, you brought pajamas?"

"We've had this conversation, Kitten," Finn jokes as he brushes some hair out of Rory's eyes. "But, to save your honor, the sweats would be much appreciated."

Rory's blush, already tinging her cheeks, flames to a brilliant red. "I'm going to need my hands, Finn. To get the sweats and pull out the trundle."

"How about you get the sweats and I'll get the bed. Do the manly thing," Finn adds while flexing his arms.

"My hero," Rory murmurs as she moves to her closet, pulling out a blue bag with the Yale logo on it. She turns to hand Finn the bag and lets out a bark of laughter at his stunned expression. "Yeah, I guess I should have warned you the trundle is hidden by a few of my books."

"A few? Kitten, I would call this an addiction," Finn says, motioning toward the 3 boxes of books he'd pulled out from under the twin bed. "You're like some book hoarder or something. Have you been studied?"

"I'm not a hoarder," Rory yells, smacking Finn's shoulder. "Take that back! And, no I haven't been studied, though people say my mom and I should be because of how much we eat."

"You can put it away, can you?" Finn asks with a laugh.

"If you're still around for lunch you'll be amazed," Rory tells him. "I have to be society Rory at breakfast with my grandparents or my grandmother throws a hissy fit."

"Hissy fit?" Finn looks at Rory quizzically.

"What was it you said your little sister did when she was a child," Rory puts her hand to her head, trying to recall the Australian phrase. "Oh, yeah, pitching a wobbly. Throwing a temper tantrum."

"Right, right," Finn murmurs. "Can't have debs gaining any weight. Then they can't catch those rich husbands."

"Finn, you promised," Rory whines.

"I'm not making fun of you coming out, Kitten," Finn pats Rory's shoulder affectionately, "merely stating what the world knows. Debs don't eat."

"All right, fine," Rory relents. "Are you good here, do you want a bottle of water?"

"That would be great, Luv, and when you get back, I'll have this," Finn points to the books, "sorted out and will be ready for the land of nod."

"You are an odd duck, Finn," Rory says as she turns to head to the kitchen.

"And you like it when I quack," Finn yells after her before turning toward the boxes to begin stacking them in a corner.


	4. Chapter 4 Summer Vacation or Avoidance?

AN: Hey all, I want to take a moment to thank everyone who's followed the story, favorited the story, and/or posted a review. I live for getting feedback. It helps keep me going and also lets me know that I'm doing something right. I hadn't planned on posting another chapter so quickly, however, in these uncertain times I figure we could use a little happy. As always, let me know what you think.

Stay safe.

Chapter 4 – Summer Vacation or Avoidance

Rory wakes up when she hears the front door opening and closing with a loud bang. She assumes it's her mother, proven right when Lorelai pokes her head through Rory's bedroom door.

"Your grandmother," Lorelai begins, stopping when she notices the boy sleeping on her daughter's trundle. "Who's that? I guess Dean wasn't enough for you?" She asks with a bit of heat seeping through.

"What?" Rory asks groggily. "That's Finn, he's just a friend."

"Yeah, right, like Dean was just a friend?"

"Listen," Rory says sitting up, running her hand through her unruly hair, "I don't know what your deal is, maybe Jason running out of the inn has something to do with it, but I swear if you don't stop accusing me of sleeping with Dean I will leave this house and never come back."

"Oh, please," Lorelai scoffs. "Where're you going to run to, Rory? Do you think your grandparents will take you in after they hear about what you've done?" Lorelai stands in the doorway with her fists on her hips. "And now you've got another guy here, one I've never even heard of, let alone met. I didn't raise you this way, Rory," Lorelai finishes with a shake of her head.

"Excuse me, ma'am, are you quite finished berating your daughter, for what I believe is the second, or is it third time?" Finn asks, moving to a sitting position on the trundle. Moving his legs to sit Indian style, he looks to Rory and continues, "Was it twice last night or just once, Kitten? I forget what you said."

"It was twice last night," Rory replies. "Once when she came in and found Dean in my bedroom. Then again at the inn when I tried to explain to her what happened. And, now, this morning. I'm not liking this pattern. Maybe I should go with you this summer, Finn," Rory adds, knowing it would get a rise out of her mother.

"I don't think so, Ror," Lorelai jumps in, tossing a glare at the boy daring to challenge her. "I don't know this boy. Why don't I know this boy?"

"You've heard of him," Rory begins. "I met him during spring break. He was the cute guy at the pool. And the one that helped me get Paris into our room when she passed out on the beach."

"And you thought that deserved him getting to come home and sleep with you? Why not just invite him to Yale if you wanted to get freaky?"

"First, mother, I didn't bring him home to get 'freaky' as you say." Rory rolls her eyes at Finn, giving a slight shrug before turning back to her mother, "Second, he and I are just friends. I've been talking to him multiple times a week since I got back from break."

"So, you're why she never calls me anymore," Lorelai accuses, pointing her finger at Finn. "Now I like you even less, despite the accent," she couldn't help adding.

"Have you had her checked, Luv?" Finn asks Rory, thinking maybe Lorelai had hit her head or something. "She sounds nothing like what you've described during our chats. Maybe she needs her meds checked?"

"I don't take meds," Lorelai screams.

"She's not on any, as far as I know," Rory says at the same time. "Mother," Rory turns her focus back to Lorelai, keeping her tone very curt and formal. "We have both been unbelievably busy and keep missing each other. Finn and I started chatting when I got back to Yale. He called to make sure Paris and I got home safely, then we just kept talking. He's become a good friend to me."

"This is not grade school, Rory," Lorelai begins, ignoring the boy for the moment. "You can't just collect pen pals, or in this case phone pals, like you did when you were in second grade. He won't be happy just 'talking' with you all the time. I'm sure there's some expectations from him."

"You don't know the first thing about me, ma'am," Finn argues, enjoying the way Rory's mom flinches every time he calls her ma'am. "And Rory is an adult and can decide if she wants to be friends with someone and go on vacation with that person on her own. She doesn't need mommy's permission."

"I don't know you?" Lorelai asks, ignoring the comment about Rory being an adult. "Is that not your Lincoln Navigator out in my driveway?" At Finn's nod Lorelai continues, "I would bet all the _Charlie__'s Angels_ plates in our kitchen that you're a trust fund baby, probably from Hartford, though, with the accent, I'm guessing you spend a lot of time in Australia too. You're probably some mindless frat boy who got into an Ivy League school on his daddy or mommy's name."

"Part of what you say is true," Finn acknowledges. "I do have a trust fund, and my mother is Hartford society. My dad is originally from Australia and I spent my formative years in Oz before being shipped to boarding school."

"Ha!" Lorelai barks out.

"However," Finn continues, ignoring her outburst, "I got into Yale because I was valedictorian of my boarding school. I have a double major, and despite taking this last year off, I'm on track to still graduate in four years with both degrees."

"Why didn't I know you were a double major?" Rory asks. "I thought you were just a plain Jane business major."

"We don't know everything yet, Kitten," Finn says as he reaches up to squeeze Rory's hand.

"This is all neither here, nor there," Lorelai interrupts. "Your grandmother wants to have breakfast with us. She says she has something important to tell us."

"Okay," Rory says while looking at her clock. "It's only seven thirty. I thought we weren't having breakfast until eight."

"She says she has a lot to do. She slept in our room last night and wants to get back to Hartford as soon as possible."

"Okay, let us just freshen up and we'll be at the inn in fifteen minutes," Rory says, getting out of bed and moving to her closet to pick out clothes for the day.

"Us?" Lorelai asks. "You're not seriously bringing the Aussie boy-toy, are you? Emily Gilmore will have a conniption."

"It would be nice to say hello to, Emily. I haven't seen her in a couple years. Not since I started at Yale." Finn gets up from his spot on the trundle, moving to find his shoes. "I'll go grab my bag from the truck."

Both Gilmore's watched as the lanky Aussie moved out the door, Lorelai stepping aside so he could pass. Once she hears the front door shut, she turns on her daughter.

"What, in the hell is he doing here, kid?"

"I called him last night after you accused me of sleeping with Dean," Rory replies simply.

"Okay, how does calling him lead to him sleeping here?"

"When he realized how upset I was over what happened, he cut his trip short with his friends and flew back to Hartford," Rory begins getting dressed, continuing while her mother sits on the bed. "He said he was worried about me and wanted to check on me to make sure I was okay."

"Do you think it's wise to let a practical stranger stay with you?" Lorelai says picking at a loose string on the quilt beside her. "Even if you've talked on the phone for three months, I don't like where your head is at."

"You don't like anything I do that hasn't been pre-approved by you," Rory spits out, ignoring the practical stranger comment.

"That's not true," Lorelai tries to defend herself. "I let you go on spring break without argument, didn't I?"

"Oh, please," Rory scoffs as she moves to her dresser, pulling out a pair of socks. "If you didn't think it was a rite of passage for college students, or the fact that Paris was going as well, I'm sure you would have pitched a wobbly."

"Pitch a what?" Lorelai asks. "Have you been drinking?"

"No, and it's an Australian term for pitching a fit, you know, throwing a tantrum?" Rory sits on her bed to putting her socks on then her shoes.

"Oh, Kitten," Finn smirks as he puts his bag just inside her bedroom door. He changed clothes in the bathroom while the two women spoke, just catching the end of Rory's comment. "Don't reveal Aussie secrets now. She's not part of the secret club, after all."

"Sorry, Finnster," Rory says, moving to stand beside him. She gives him a hug, "Please forgive me?"

"Damn those eyes," Finn whispers, pulling her back in for another hug. "I'll forgive you. Shall we go see your grandmum?"

Finn turns to head down the hallway, Rory putting her arm through his, practically skipping out of the house.

"What about me?" Lorelai asks the empty room.

Rory suggests to Finn that they take his SUV, cutting the time to get to the inn to practically nothing. When they reach the historic Dragonfly, Finn parks in front, hurrying to help Rory from the truck.

"Why, thank you, kind sir," Rory says batting her eyelashes at him.

"You're welcome, milady," Finn returns with a courtly bow. "Shall we?" He asks as he takes her hand, wrapping it over his arm.

They both giggle as they move up the steps and into the lobby of the inn.

"Rory, there you are," Emily sighs. "I was beginning to think you and your mother forgot about me. Who's this with you?"

"Finn Morgan," Finn says, taking Emily's offered hand and kissing the back. "I'm Finnegan and Annabeth Morgan's second son."

"Oh, yes, I remember you," Emily says, blushing slightly at the courtly gesture. "I haven't seen you in two, three years?"

"Yes, ma'am. It was right after I got accepted to Yale," Finn begins.

"Oh, yes, a Yale man. Rory, you can't go wrong with a Yale man," Emily says, turning to her granddaughter and giving her a brief hug.

"We're just friends, Grandma," Rory explains.

"You never know when a friendship might turn into something more," Emily says with a wink. "Are you joining us for breakfast, Finn? Rory, where's your mother?"

"If you don't mind, Grandma, I did invite Finn to eat with us. He came to check up on me, and I don't want to be a bad hostess," Rory says. She knew that would convince her grandmother to let Finn stay. "I'm not sure where mom is, did she leave the house when we did, Finn?"

"Uh, well, Kitten, I think we may have forgotten about her, actually," Finn replies with a sheepish grin. "And, if you need some privacy, Mrs. Gilmore, I can take a stroll in the gardens. I don't mind skipping breakfast. Rory has offered to take me to Luke's for lunch, and as often as she rhapsodizes about the coffee there, I can't miss it."

"Oh, no, Finn it's fine for you to join us," Emily quickly responds. "I just need a few minutes with my daughter and granddaughter to fill them in on summer plans. Why don't you go secure us a table in the dining room and we'll be right in."

"As you wish," he bows to Emily, winking at Rory as he moves further into the inn.

"Way to leave me, kid," Lorelai huffs as she moves to stand before her mother and daughter.

"Sorry, Mom, but I thought we'd said all we needed to," Rory shoots back in a clipped tone.

Emily, noticing the friction between the two girls, hurries to interrupt before they can start another argument. "Lorelai, is there somewhere private we can talk? I need to tell you and Rory something, but I don't want gossip to start."

"Sure," Lorelai says on a sigh. "We can go to my office." She turns toward the hallway to the right of the stairs, leading to the back of the first floor. She opens a door, motioning with her hand for the two to go in before her.

"So, what's going on, Grandma?" Rory asks once everyone settles into a seat. She doesn't want to leave Finn alone too long.

"Well, this isn't easy for me to say, girls, but I hope you understand." Emily pauses taking a deep breath before going on in a rush, "Lorelai your father and I—Rory, your grandfather and I are separated."

"Okay," Lorelai says.

"Okay?" Emily asks. "Okay, that's all you have to say to this news?"

"We already knew Dad was living in the pool house, Mom." Lorelai rolls her eyes, looking to her daughter. "Right, Rory?"

"How could you know?" Emily interrupts.

"Well, Grandma, it was quite obvious that something was going on," Rory side-stepped the direct question. "I'm sorry," she adds, unsure what else to say.

"Well!" Emily huffs.

"Is that it?" Lorelai says.

"Is that it? IS THAT IT!" Emily nearly screams. "Isn't that enough?"

"I meant, what are you going to do now? Is Dad moving out? Are you talking to lawyers?"

"I'm going to Europe," Emily responds.

"And there you have it, Ladies and Gentlemen," Lorelai begins, "If something's not working in the Gilmore home, just jet off to Europe until it's swept under the rug and forgotten."

"That's not what I'm doing, Lorelai," Emily says. "I just need some time away to come to terms with the failure of my marriage."

Lorelai starts to say something, shuts her mouth, then with an 'ah ha' grin says, "Why don't you take Rory with you, Mom? You know you don't like traveling around Europe alone, and Rory doesn't have any plans, so it's a win win."

"Oh, Rory, would you want to? That would be so lovely. I know you went backpacking, such a hippy thing to do, last summer with your mom, but I would love to show you Europe as a young girl of your station should see it." Emily's eyes take on a sparkle thinking about showing her granddaughter the true Europe.

"Um, well, Grandma, I haven't quite decided what I want to do yet for the summer," Rory hems and haws. "I was thinking of getting a part time job for spending money for school next year, or maybe taking summer classes to get ahead."

"Oh, nonsense, Rory," Emily counters. "Think of all the culture you'll be able to soak up traveling with me this summer. And if you're worried about money, your grandfather can set up an account for you, so you don't have to live like a pauper next year."

"Can I think about it for a bit?" Rory asks. She glances at the clock on the wall before getting up from her chair. "We should go out and eat before breakfast is over. Finn is probably wondering where we are."

"Oh, dear, I forgot we sent him to the dining room," Emily says, rising from her chair and dusting her hands on her slacks. "Think you can give me an answer by tonight? I'd like to call our travel agent and get started on plans."

"I can do that," Rory responds as the trio move through the inn to the dining room.

"Oh, how lovely," Emily enthuses. She claps her hands, "This is going to be an excellent summer."

Breakfast was a little stilted at first, however, Finn's boisterous personality brought everyone out of their bad moods regaling everyone with stories of his misspent youth in Australia. Once breakfast was complete, Lorelai went to the kitchen to talk to Sookie to see how things went for her with the trial run. Finn and Rory walked Emily to her car before Rory took him on a tour of the town.

"Over there is Miss Patty's where I had my one and only ballet lesson," Rory says as she points to the open studio where Miss Patty was in the throes of helping her students on one of the various recitals for the summer.

"Only one lesson? What happened, Kitten?" Finn paused in the street to watch the robust ballet teacher as she directed the little girls in their leotards.

"I may have accidentally tripped someone and broke their arm," Rory mutters, a blush creeping her cheeks.

"You did what?" Finn asks. He's sure he didn't hear what he thought he had.

"Yes, I broke a girl's arm and was asked to never return.

"Oh, poor, Kitten," Finn says as he tries to hold in his laugh. He pulls Rory to his side, giving her a one-armed hug. "I'll still dance with you," he adds as they continue on their tour."

"It's your feet," Rory responds. "Over there is Andrew's bookstore where I spend a bit of time."

"A bit? Surely you jest," Finn laughs as he thinks back to the boxes of books hidden under her bed.

"I don't buy all my books there, but he does get quite a bit of my business," Rory acknowledges with a sheepish grin.

"Let's go this way," Rory says as she pulls Finn toward her second favorite spot in Stars Hollow. An added bonus is avoiding Lorelai as she heads towards Luke's.

"Are you planning on drowning me, Kitten?" Finn asks as they come to a bridge spanning a small lake.

"No. I thought you might like to come to my second favorite place in town," Rory says as she lowers herself to the worn wood. "I come here to think when things get bad."

"Everyone should have a place like that," Finn says, for once not cracking a joke. "There's a cove near my gran's beach house in Sydney that is like that for me. It's nice and quiet, not a touristy spot at all. I can just go sit on the beach and wool-gather or take my board and surf."

"That sounds wonderful," Rory says with a wistful tone.

"I'll take you there some day," Finn promises. "So, how are you doing today?" Finn asks after a few minutes of silence.

"Still wondering what's gotten into my mother. It's not like her to think I'm lying about things. I guess we've drifted further apart than I thought," Rory says with a sad look. She turns toward the water, a pensive look on her face.

"So, how are you feeling about what your grandmum revealed to you before breakfast?"

"I'm not surprised about her and grandpa separating. I've known for a while that he wasn't living in the house. It hurts, but what can I do?" Rory shrugs her shoulders, turning her face back to Finn. "As far as going to Europe with her, I'm seriously considering it. I mean, what else am I going to do? Going to Europe will at least get me away from my mother."

"Well, if you decide to go, please let Emily know I will put you both on the VIP list of the hotels that we own," Finn offers. "I'm not sure where your grandmum prefers to stay, but if she chooses any of the Morgan holdings, you'll get the royal treatment."

"Oh, Finn, you don't have to do that," Rory says as she leans into his shoulder for a moment. "However, I know you won't take no for an answer, so I'll tell Grandma. I'm not sure where she prefers to stay since I've never traveled with her or Grandpa."

"So, you're going to go then?" Finn asks.

"Yeah," Rory replies. "I don't see why I shouldn't. It's not like I'm going to get a warm reception around here this summer."

"Well, let me know what your itinerary is when it's planned and if I happen to be in the same city or near maybe we can meet up for dinner or something more exciting," Finn offers.

"That would be fun, but don't you have to work this summer?"

"I will be, however, even my da doesn't expect me to be all work and no play," Finn says with a smile. "I do get time off, and what better way to spend it?"

"You're such a good friend," Rory says, wrapping her arm around his and squeezing tight.

"Only for you, Kitten," Finn says. "Only for you."

Rory and Finn had lunch at Luke's where Finn agreed that the man made the best coffee. While they were eating peach pie Finn tried to convince Luke to franchise in their hotels, or at least sell them the rights to his coffee blend. Finally, Luke had enough and ran the two friends off.

"Why don't we go see if maybe grandma is still at the inn," Rory says after sitting in the gazebo for a while playing twenty questions.

"That sounds good. We can pick up the Navigator as well." Finn pulls Rory from her seat, laughing when she fell into his arms. "If you want my arms around you, Kitten, all you have to do is ask."

"You did that on purpose," Rory replies, smacking his arm lightly. "But I'll never turn down one of your hugs," she adds, wrapping her arms around his neck before pulling him close and hugging him.

"Is this why you won't take me back?" Dean growls from the base of the steps.

"Try the fact you're married, and I don't love you that way anymore," Rory says, turning from Finn to argue with her ex-boyfriend. "I told you this last night."

"But, Rory, I love you," Dean argues, while staring daggers at Finn who still has his hands-on Rory's waist.

"Mate, I think Kitten here has made herself clear," Finn inserts as he watches the by play. "She's not yours anymore and she doesn't want you bothering her, understand?" Finn places himself in front of Rory, blocking her from Dean's view.

"Listen, MATE," Dean grouses, "you're not needed here, understand? So just let Rory go and we'll go talk this out between the two of us."

"Dean, we've been over for a long time," Rory tries to explain. Again. "Go home to Lindsey, you know, your wife."

"Dean?" the wife in question asks as she comes up beside her husband. "What's going on here?"

Dean looks between Rory and Finn and back to Lindsey. "Nothing, I just ran into Rory and she was introducing me to her friend—" he trails off, realizing he doesn't know the other man's name.

"We were just leaving," Finn says in response, purposefully leaving off his name. Let the asshat figure out what to say to his wife.

"Bye Lindsey," Rory says, completely ignoring Dean as she and Finn move down the opposite side of the gazebo, heading back to the Dragonfly. When the pair reach the inn, they are just in time to see Emily as she directs her drive on how to put her luggage into the trunk of the car.

"Grandma, I'm glad we caught you," Rory yells as she runs to her grandmother's side.

"Rory, there's no need to yell," Emily scolds, "You're as bad as your mother. I know you have manners, now use them."

"Sorry, Grandma," Rory relies with a blush. "I'm just excited that we got here before you left. I've decided that I would love to travel with you in Europe this summer."

"Oh, Rory, that's wonderful. Now, why don't you go home and pack," Emily says as the driver closes the trunk. "Just pack for a week or so, and we'll buy you a whole new wardrobe while we're gone."

"Oh, Grandma, that's not necessary," Rory hurries to tell her grandmother. Seeing her mother frowning on the porch, she quickly adds, "Why not? I'd love to get some new closes for next semester." She looks at her mother defiantly, knowing Lorelai will pitch a fit at the cost and that Rory didn't earn it.

"Wonderful. Do you want me to come with you and wait while you pack, or will Finn here be bringing you to the house?" Emily watches as the two young adults have a conversation without saying a word.

"I'd be delighted to drive Rory to Hartford and see that she gets to your home safely," Finn says, turning to address Emily directly. "I also mentioned to her to let your travel agent know if they book you into any Morgan Hotels to let me know so I can put you on the VIP list."

"Oh, Finn, that's very thoughtful of you," Emily smiles at the young man. "When traveling anywhere we try to stay at Morgan hotels if possible. They're always so elegant and comfortable."

"It's settled then, when you have your itinerary, let me know and I will alert the hotels," Finn says as he takes Emily's hand and kisses it. "You ladies deserve the best."

Finn turns to Rory, winking before taking her hand. "Let's get you home and packed so we can meet your grandmother in Hartford. Maybe you can go to dinner with the three of us before you leave?"

Emily, having heard the question decides to answer for her granddaughter, "That would be lovely Finn. I'll be so busy packing everything that I will probably have the cook just make me some soup."

"Grandma, I can help you," Rory offers. She really would prefer to go out with Finn and his friends; however, she thinks she should at least offer to help pack.

"Nonsense, Rory, when you have the chance to dine with a Yale man," Emily begins.

"Men," Finn interrupts, "Colin and Logan are Yalies too."

"Oh, even better," Emily nearly purrs. "It's settled. Rory, go pack enough clothes for a couple of weeks, then drop them off at the house. You can freshen up and have dinner with your friends. I'm going to call Justin on the way home to get everything started. You can stay at the house with me. It will make getting to the airport easier."

"Oh, Mrs. Gilmore, you will have to let the boys and me take you guys to the airport. A proper send off," Finn offers. He drags Rory to his truck, effectively cutting off any complaint about the arrangements from Emily.

"Let the adventure begin," Rory says as Finn helps her into the passenger side of the truck.

"In Omnia Paratus," Finn responds.


	5. Chapter 5

AN: This chapter isn't as long as my previous ones, however, I wanted to put something out for everyone who's been wondering where I am. I'm three weeks from the end of the semester and I have 4 papers to finish up. In these weird times writing has been a challenge, however, my love of _Gilmore Girls_ keeps me going. I hope everyone is staying safe. Also, most of the time I'm putting out something that was minimally edited, so, if you catch any mistakes, please let me know so I can correct them.

Chapter 1 Meeting Back at Yale

Rory and Marty place their orders with the barista at the coffee cart, continuing their conversation about their summers.

"I swear, I heard him sigh with relief," Marty says as he doctors his coffee with cream and sugar.

"No, really?" Rory asks. "So, your uncle is really your dad and your dad is your uncle," Rory continues. "That's—wild," she finishes lamely.

"So how was your summer," Marty asks as they turn from the coffee cart, heading back to Branford.

"Not nearly so interesting," Rory begins. "I spent the summer with my grandmother in Europe." She shrugs before continuing, "You know, touring ancient churches, every museum available and—" she stops when she sees someone she wasn't expecting until the next day.

"Finn!" Rory rushes to her friend, wrapping her left arm around his neck, being careful not to spill her coffee on him. "I thought you wouldn't be back until tomorrow?"

"We couldn't miss the first round of parties," Finn replies, grabbing Rory by the waist, heedless of her coffee and twirling her around. "You're coming with us, right?"

"When? I have plans with Marty to watch Chaplin movies tonight," Rory says, pointing over to her friend who was suddenly surrounded by the other two musketeers. "They're not going to eat him, are they?" Rory asks hesitantly as she watches Colin and Logan circle Marty. She's too far away to hear what they're saying, however, she knows enough about Logan and Colin by now to know they were probably torturing Marty in some fashion.

"Well, tonight, of course, Kitten. It's the first night of parties, you have to come," Finn announces as if it's already been decided.

"I can't tonight, Finn." Rory says.

"Please, Kitten," Finn begs. "I promise you'll have fun."

"You mean like we did in Dublin when you got us kicked out of that pub?"

"Hey, how was I to know the 'National Dance Champion' was in the bar that night," Finn replies, trying to defend himself.

"Finn, you were making fun of the Irish dance. You dubbed yourself the Aussie Michael Flatley," Rory argues.

"I was channeling my inner Irishman," Finn counters. "And doing a hell of a good job, if I do say so myself." Finn quickly does a couple steps, frowning when the requisite clacks don't happen. "Damn, wrong shoes," he grumbles.

"Okay, what about Barcelona? You nearly got arrested," Rory makes her next argument.

"A simple misunderstanding with a very beautiful woman," Finn waves his hand, dismissing the incident.

"Yes, a woman with a penis," Rory argues back.

"Which is the reason I politely told her no," Finn counters.

"After she had her tongue down your throat," Rory nearly falls, laughing remembering the look on Finn's face when he made the realization.

"A misunderstanding," Finn counters again. "Besides, she didn't press charges. And I tipped her quite handsomely."

"It was a drag queen bar, Finn."

"Yeah, but sometimes women dress up as women in drag bars."

"Ugh!" Rory relents. "I can't tonight, but how about we have lunch tomorrow, and then we can discuss the parties for tomorrow night?"

"As you wish," Finn replies with a wink. Rory couldn't help smiling at his use of the phrase from _The Princess Bride_, their go to movie to watch the few times they managed to meet up in Europe. "Now, let's go rescue your boy before tweedle dee and tweedle dumb scare him off."

Rory wasn't able to explain that Marty was just a friend, because Finn moved off to sprinkle his own brand of chaos into the situation.

"I see some sort of uniform," Logan says to Marty as Rory and Finn join the group.

"A Maytag repairman," Finn scoffs as he leans onto Colin's shoulder.

"I bar-tended for you last year," Marty says, looking a little uncomfortable.

"Ah, yes," Logan begins. Rory wonders how much he's had to drink so far. She imagines it's quite a bit considering how he's leaning forward and squinting. "You make a kick ass margarita! I'm assuming your services are still for hire this year. Your financial situation hasn't changed at all?"

"Uh, no," Marty shakes his head, looking down at his shoes.

"Okay, good," Logan says, tapping Marty on the shoulder. "Where you living this year?"

"Branford," Marty replies.

"Okay, good," Logan says before putting his arm around the girl who'd been standing by him idly. He turns and begins walking away. "Branford, good. Nice running into you."

"Nice shirt," Colin adds, his arms crossed over his chest. "I can see what you see in him."

"Don't be an ass, Colin," Finn, Logan and Rory all say at the same time.

"Who me? Never," Colin adds as he begins to follow his friends. "I'm a friend to people large, and very very small," he continues, turning back to Rory waving his hand in her and Marty's general direction.

"I kind of hate those guys," Marty says once the trio are out of earshot.

"They do take some getting use to," Rory agrees. "But, once you get to know them a bit, they're not quite so asinine."

"How do you know them?" Marty asks as they head back to Branford.

"Well, remember when Paris and I went on spring break last year with our roommate Janet and Glen from the paper?" Seeing Marty nod, Rory continues, "Well, Finn saved us one night at the club. Some guy was trying to put something into our drinks, and Finn knocked them out of the guy's hand. Then, later on the beach, Finn helped me get Paris back to our room. We talked a bit and promised to keep in touch."

"And I guess you did," Marty says, his voice holding a note of sadness.

"Yeah, and then this summer, while I was in Europe with Grandma, he was over there helping his brother with the family business," Rory explains. She moves her hand through her hair, pushing the errant strands behind her ears. "Anyway, he told me to keep in touch with him and if we were ever in the same country or city we would try to meet up."

"How many times did you get to see him," Marty asks.

Rory thinks she hears a hint of jealousy in his voice, but decides to ignore it, sure she was imagining it. "I think maybe five times over three months. Not often, really, but a couple times Logan and Colin were with him. They are a riot when they are out partying."

"Yeah, I know," Marty says glumly.

"Oh, yeah, I guess you would since you were their bartender." Rory pauses outside her door, turning to Marty and giving him a brief hug. "I'm glad we ran into each other today. I'll call you about the movie night. Paris may not be up to visitors."

"There you are," Paris says after opening the door. "Marty," she adds dismissively. "Look, can you give Rory and me some time. I need to talk to her about some things."

"Uh, sure," Marty shrugs, intimidated by Paris as usual. "Rory, call me about movies." Marty waves before taking the stairs two at a time.

"Why do you hang out with that loser?" Paris asks as she pulls Rory into their room. "Never mind, I switched some things around and I switched our rooms, I hope you don't mind."

"Paris," Rory beings.

"What?"

"Come here," Rory says, pulling her over the top friend into her and giving her a big hug. "I'm sorry."

The next morning, Rory comes out of her room to find Paris arranging books on the coffee table. "What are you doing?"

"It's a sad state of affairs for our country when the bookstore still has so many of Asher's books," Paris replies, shifting a stack of hardback books ever so slightly.

"Can I help you with these?" Rory asks, pointing to another stack of books.

"No, but you could hang these up for me, if you don't mind?" Paris moves to the bookshelf near Rory's bedroom door.

"Sure, no problem," Rory says taking the posters, tape and tacks Paris hands her. "I've got my phone if you need me for anything," Rory says, patting her front pocket.

"Thanks, Rory," Paris says as she goes back to stacking the books.

Rory moves into the hallway, tacking up a couple of posters on the bulletin boards in the area. As she's tacking up her third poster, she hears some familiar voices.

"I know her room's around here somewhere," Finn says, leading Logan and Colin to the hallway Rory had just vacated.

"Didn't you ask her for her room number when you saw her yesterday?" Colin asks with his usual grumpiness.

"I did, but I can't remember what number she said. I know her dorm name started with a B," Finn says as he nears Rory's door.

"Maybe you should lay off the alcohol a bit if you can't even remember a simple name and number," Logan argues as Finn pauses at the door in front of him.

"This has to be it," Finn says. "I'll just leave my number," he says after a moment. "I don't want to run into that roommate of hers."

"Finn, I didn't know Paris scared you," Rory says, having been standing behind the guys for a few minutes. She couldn't help laughing at their easy banter and confusion.

"Kitten," Finn says.

"Reporter Girl," Colin says, smirking at his Aussie friend.

"Ace," Logan says with a slight leer.

"Wow, so many nick names, so little intelligence," Rory retorts, laughing harder at the differing looks on the guys' faces.

Before anyone can respond, Paris opens the door, "Well, well, if it isn't the three stooges. Moe, Larry, and Curly," she says pointing first toward Logan then Colin and, finally, Finn. "What, no Shemp today?"

"Huh?" Logan says, totally lost in what Paris was getting at.

"You're not that dumb, Blondie," Paris growls, "Obviously you're the leader, as it were, of your little rag-tag band of Lost Boys, and Finn has the curliest hair, so obviously he's Curly. I'm just wondering if Sweater Vest there is Larry, or maybe he's Shemp and the Game Theory tutor is Larry."

"You mean Robert, Love?" Finn questions, wondering if it was a good idea to rile Paris up or not.

Giving Finn a quick nod, Paris turns her attention toward her roommate, "Rory, did you get the posters up?"

Logan takes one of the posters still in Rory's hand and smirks, "They out of Orlando Bloom, Ace?"

"It's Professor Asher Fleming," Rory responds, hoping the guys wouldn't ask too many questions. Paris could be brusque on the best of days. While grieving, it was impossible to predict her behavior.

"So, were you and Fleming—" Logan trails off, motioning with his hands to indicate some sort of sexual connection.

"NO!" Rory yells, grabbing Finn by the arm and stepping in front of all three guys, attempting to shield them from Paris.

"Hey, it's an honest question," Colin asks, stumbling as Rory pushes the trio back even further. "Why else would you have so many posters of him?"

"He died, you uncaring asshat," Paris yells. "He was a great man, and we're throwing him a wake so everyone can pay their respects to this great educator."

"Oh, so YOU and Fleming were—" Logan begins with a big smirk spreading over his face.

"LOGAN!" Rory screams. This time she pushes Paris back into their room, closing the door in her roommate's face so Paris didn't start to practice her Krav Maga on any of them.

"I can't believe you, Logan," Rory says as she turns to face the guys, her back to the door. She continues to hold onto the doorknob, grateful that it seems as if Paris moved away from the door.

"What?" Logan asks, shrugging at the perturbed look Rory was giving him. "We may have been gone last year, but we still kept up with what was happening on campus. And it's no secret that Asher Fleming likes/liked to have affairs with students." Logan pauses, running his hand through his already messy hair.

"Yeah, RG," Colin adds in, "we knew he went for a freshman last year, but no one could find out her name. He really banged Paris? Purposefully?"

"I heard that!" Paris yells through the door. She hits it for good measure, while Rory winces, thinking that there would be no way to stop her if Paris decides to come out and pummel the boys.

"Okay, enough about my roommate's sex life," Rory says, pushing the guys further down the hall, taking back the posters Finn had taken from her. "What are you guys doing here anyway? Isn't it too early for you to be up, Finn?"

"Under normal circumstances, yes," Finn begins, leaning against the wall beside Rory. "But our party got raided last night so we didn't see the sun come up. Besides," he adds, playing with the ends of Rory's hair, "I promised you lunch, and I'm here to make good on that promise."

"Uh, lunch isn't until noon or later," Rory stumbles, trying desperately to ignore the shocks that go down her spine as Finn touches her.

"Ace, it's 11:30," Logan says, smirking at Colin as the two watch their friend not flirt with Rory. "It's perfectly acceptable to have lunch at this time."

"Really?" Rory asks, pulling out her phone to check the time. "Damn, guess I slept in longer than I thought. Let me put up a few more of these posters and I'll meet you somewhere?"

"How about we take a few and help you get them put up faster?" Finn counters. "Then we can introduce you to Rich Man's Shoe, the pub of champions."

"Yeah, I'm sure you didn't visit there last year," Logan adds, "or did you?"

"No, I can't say any pub was high on my list of places to visit," Rory admits. "Okay, here, go put these up around the library," she says, handing Colin and Logan several of the posters and thumb tacks. "Finn can help me put some up around here."

"Great, and over lunch we can discuss the party you promised to come to with us tonight," Finn states, taking the posters out of Rory's hands, moving over to a light pole near the coffee cart.

"I agreed," Rory sighs, "but the first naked body I see I'm out of there."

"Even if it's mine," Finn asks with a wink.

"Especially if it's yours, Finn," Rory says. "No one needs to see their best friend's naked butt."

"I wouldn't mind seeing yours," Finn says, laughing at the outraged look on Rory's face. "Kidding, Kitten," Finn says, pulling Rory in for a hug. "Now, let's get these posters of the hot geriatric professor up so we can get to the fun."

Rory laughs at the comment, "You're one of a kind, Finnster!"

"And you wouldn't have me any other way," Finn responds before tacking up the next poster.


	6. Chapter 6 SATURDAY Night

AN: I'm back. I finally finished the semester that wouldn't end. With all the issues with Covid-19 it was a bizarre mess that just never quite came together. As a grad student I'm used to working under pressure, but this…this was just…shrug. That on top of trying to help my undergrad students who were feeling just as confused and lost as I was didn't help. But we made it. And now I can regroup for summer. In the meantime, I decided to give myself a treat and write another update. Thank you to everyone who has been following, favoriting, replying to this story. It really makes my day to see the numbers change and to know that I'm entertaining someone other than myself. 😊

Stay safe! Oh, and for anyone who doesn't understand the title of this chapter look up the Bay City Rollers on YouTube. Yeah, I just dated myself a little bit.

Chapter 5 S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y Night

Finn and Rory caught up with the last few weeks of each other's lives as they finished putting the posters about the wake up around the dorms. Both were laughing, nearly falling over, thinking about their adventures in Europe over the summer.

"I still can't believe that you thought it was a good idea to try to get to the bell tower in Notre Dame while we were in Paris. I thought that security guard was going to call my grandmother telling her I'd been arrested." Rory laughed at the memory, though at the time it was anything but funny.

"You just have to know how to talk to people, Kitten." Finn smirks thinking about what he promised that security guard for letting them go. The lost night of earnings for their best room at their Paris hotel was worth it though. He didn't care if he got arrested and spent a night in jail, wouldn't be the first time, however, he hopes Rory never experiences that.

"I don't even want to know what you offered him," Rory replies when she sees the smirk on her friend's face. "So, what did you do for the last three weeks before coming back to campus?"

"Worked, worked, and worked. Finn was a boring boy." Finn takes the last poster from Rory and holds it up to the bulletin board. "Here, tack this and we can go get some burgers, and a beer or two," he added with a grin.

"I'll agree to the burgers. Not sure about the beer." Rory places tack in the four corners before dusting off her hands. "Glad that's finished. I don't like Paris getting angry at me."

"She is a force to be reckoned with," Finn begins, "and I've only talked to her on the phone."

"Her heart's often in the right place, but she has issues expressing herself." Rory laughs as Finn puts his hand at the small of her back, leading her to the pub.

"So, how did things go with Lorelai?" Finn asks as they move through the gates of the university, heading a couple blocks into the surrounding neighborhood.

"Okay, I guess," Rory shrugs. "She apologized for insisting I slept with Dean. Said something about Dean and Lindsey getting into some big fight outside Luke's and everything coming out."

"I guess that's something," Finn pauses to hug Rory close, before continuing on to the pub. He leaves his arm over her shoulder casually; their connection having grown after spending time in Europe.

"I don't know." Rory shrugged again. "Right after telling me she was sorry she started berating me for allowing Grandma buy me new clothes. And she was practically purple thinking about Grandpa setting up an account for me for spending money, so I don't have to find a part-time job this semester."

"That has never made sense to me, Kitten," Finn says as they continue along the sidewalk. They were almost to the pub, so he stops them and sits on a bench so they could finish their talk before joining Logan and Colin. "I mean, you would think she would want you to not stress about money so you could focus on your classwork and grades."

"You would think, but she's always telling me how it's not good to take money you didn't earn." Rory sighs, looking off into the distance. "When I was sixteen, my Grandmother Lorelai, or Trix if you ask my Grandpa, offered me a trust fund to pay for Chilton. Mom threw a fit and Trix ended up taking it back."

Again, Rory pauses to stare out into nothing. "I know my mom ran away from home because she thought my grandparents were stifling and she didn't want to have anything to do with society, but then, why did she work so hard to get me into Chilton? Why did she encourage me to apply to Ivy League schools? She had to know I would be thrust into society and not able to avoid it. Or did she just want me to have dreams, but never actually fulfill them?"

"I don't know, Kitten," Finn says, gently hugging Rory. "Look, you know I have a decent relationship with my parents. They're not like most society parents. They have hopes and dreams for their kids, but they also know we have our own dreams. Fortunately, I like the hospitality industry. Though I'm hoping to get to be more involved in the entertainment side one day."

Rory looks toward her friend, smiling at his admission. "You know, once you mature a bit, I bet you'll be fabulous at it."

"I'm wounded," Finn grabs at his chest, playfully making like she's shot him directly in the heart. "I know I'm not ready to go there now. I like playing and partying too much to be successful, however, I hope to never lose all of my Peter Pan ways."

"Never," Rory laughs, nudging him with her shoulder. "It's what makes you Finn. The life of the party."

"Sometimes," Finn acknowledges. "I think in some ways your mom is a Peter Pan figure. No, hear me out," Finn continues at the look of disbelief on Rory's face. "She had to grow up in a lot of ways really quickly when she got pregnant with you, however, I think in some very fundamental ways she's still just a scared teenager trying to control her world in the only way she knows how. She sees you being all mature and able to navigate the world of society in a way she never could, and it probably scares her. She's afraid of losing you."

"Maybe," Rory agrees. "But, if she didn't want me to be a part of that world, she shouldn't have pushed so hard for me to succeed."

"Rory, all parents want their kids to succeed where they failed. They want better for their kids. Even if they fail spectacularly." Finn sighs, wondering just when he became so philosophical. "Even the Dark Lord, for all his jackass-ness, only wants the best for Logan. He and Endora go about it in the complete wrong way, but deep down I think their hearts are in the right place."

Finn takes a moment to laugh at the nicknames the guys had given to Logan's parents. "Now, if you ever tell Logan that I said that, I will deny it and take you to the outback and lose you. Understand?" he asks, laughing at the affronted look on Rory's face.

"What kind of friend do you take me for?" Rory asks in mock outrage. "I'd never reveal your deepest darkest secrets."

"Oh, what secrets is Finn revealing today?" Logan asks as he walks up to Rory and Finn.

"Hey, Mates, when did you get here?" Finn asks, twitching slightly that Logan heard what he said to Rory.

"Just in time to hear you have deep dark secrets you told Reporter Girl," Colin adds. "I thought we were meeting at Rich Man's Shoe?"

"We were just catching up waiting for you guys," Rory says quickly, standing up and holding out her hand to pull Finn off the bench.

"Yeah, sure," Logan says with skepticism, "I know you'll never tell, so let's go eat."

They guys settled into their usual booth off to the side of the pub, yet close to the bar. In a matter of moments, one of the waitresses headed over with a tray of water. "Hi, boys, glad to see you survived your year of leisure."

"Barely," Rory muttered, thinking about the boat sinking. "Could I have a coffee please. And an iced tea."

Finn ordered a beer, as did the other two men. Turning to Rory Finn asks, "Tea? The lady whose blood is probably eighty percent coffee ordered tea?"

"I doubt it holds up to Luke's, but it's passable."

"Well, I can ask for a to go cup then and take the tea home with me. I'll need something to drink while I'm getting ready tonight." Rory says. Continuing she adds, "So what should I plan to wear to this party tonight? Are we talking ball gowns, or hoe downs? I can pull out an Emily approved cocktail dress, or I have jeans and any number of questionable t-shirts."

"Oh, questionable? Really? Do tell," Colin asks.

"You've heard stories of my mother," Rory begins. "I'm pretty sure I still have the rhinestone penis t-shirt. And probably the one that says Give Bush a Wedgie, in my stack somewhere."

"Now, why do you have to pick on our great president like that?" Colin grumbles.

"You and I have very different ideas of what makes a president great," Rory shoots back, unperturbed by Colin's republicanism. She knows he can't help it. It's just the way he was raised.

"Yeah, yeah," Collin mutters, nodding politely at the waitress as she puts his beer in front of him.

"This coffee isn't half bad," Rory says.

"Glad you like it, Princess," the waitress snarks.

"That was meant as a compliment, Sara," Finn jumps to Rory's defense. "This one," he continues, pointing to Rory, "lives off coffee and has quite the developed palate for the brew."

"Sorry," Sara apologizes, "it's been a nightmare in here the last two days. Jim hasn't gotten the staffing worked out yet, and the natives are already restless. What can I get you all to eat?"

"Finn, why don't you order for me, I need to use the restroom," Rory says, pushing back from the table and heading off to the back of the pub. As she was walking away, she hears Sara explain that she really didn't mean to be a bitch. Rory couldn't help smiling as she hears Finn tell Sara that it was okay, and that Rory wouldn't hold Sara's attitude against her.

When Rory gets back to the table there's a plate of chili cheese fries sitting in the middle. She knows it's for the table, but she can't help teasing the boys, "So, what are you guys going to eat?"

"Kitten, I know your food intake could rival a wrestler trying to make weight, but surely you would share with your bestie. Right?" Finn pulls out her chair, batting his eyelashes dementedly to get Rory to laugh.

"Oh, I guess I could share. As long as you got me decent food to go with this?" Rory tilts her head at him, smiling innocently.

"Of course!" Finn grabs at his heart. "I wouldn't let my kitten go hungry now. You have a bacon cheeseburger on the way with onion rings."

"He figured since we got the fries for the group, you'd want to try to onion rings," Logan jumps in, shaking his head at his friend's antics with Rory.

"It's like we share a mind," Rory teases as she impulsively hugs Finn. "Now, about what I should wear tonight."

"Well, forget the evening wear," Colin says while forking a few fries. "Getting vomit out of silk, taffeta, or satin is a nightmare. Just ask Steph."

"You'll get to meet her along with Juliet and Rosemary tonight at the party," Finn adds. "Those girls wouldn't be caught dead eating anything we have here. And they're probably shopping or primping already for tonight."

"I'd also nix the heels unless you've been walking around in them since you were a toddler," Logan adds in, fighting with Finn for a disk of jalapeno. "The floors at most parties get pretty nasty. So, plan on wearing something that is washable, even the shoes."

"And I want to go to this party why?" Rory asks as she dips her forkful of fries into the ranch dressing.

"Because it's fun," Finn smirks.

"Because it will help you meet people," Logan suggests.

"It'll make you appreciate the refined stylings of the LDB parties that much more," Colin finishes before Finn hits him on the back of the head. "Hey, what was that for?"

"I don't think you're supposed to mention the LDB, whatever that is, in front of me," Rory says while digging back into the fries.

"All in good time, Kitten," Finn tries deflecting while glaring daggers at Colin.

Rory just shrugs, continuing munching on the fries. "I figure when I'm supposed to 'know' about the LDB one of you will fill me in. Until then, I'll just nod and smile if you slip up and mention it in front of me."

"Ah, that's why I love you, Kitten," Finn says as he leans over and kisses the top of Rory's head, "you aren't as high maintenance as most of the girls we hang out with."

"I'm going to assume that's intended as a compliment," Rory growls, pointing her fork toward Finn. "So, I'm thinking jeans, a tank and a t-shirt that's funny, but not too suggestive for tonight. And my chucks. They've been through the wash a time or two already."

"Nice, but not too slutty," Finn says. "It's perfect."

A different waitress sets the burgers in front of everyone. She then places a basket of onion rings, tater-tots and fried cheese in the middle of the table. "Enjoy," she says before picking up the empty plate of fries from the table.

"I hope Sara isn't avoiding the table because of me," Rory says, sipping her iced tea, having finished her coffee with the cheese fries.

"Nah, she was about to get off work," Logan says. "I think that's why she was so snippy."

"Okay then," Rory says, lifting the bun on her burger to assess it. "You remembered," she smiles noting the lack of vegetables on the burger.

"Well, you tend to remember things like that after the ten-minute diatribe you went on about the uselessness of vegetables, especially when on things like hamburgers and hot dogs." Finn couldn't help laughing at the put-upon face Rory was making. "It was a thing of beauty, but quite elaborate."

"We all know better than to allow vegetables on your plate anymore," Logan adds in with a grin. "Except when you're with Emily."

"Well, society and all that," Rory shrugs as she picks up her burger, holding out her pinkies to mock society as she takes her first bite. "This is really good," she exclaims after swallowing the bite.

"Glad you approve," Finn says as he picks up his knife and cuts his burger in half. "Now, just a few rules for the party tonight."

"Society rules for a college party? Is anything sacred?" Rory mocks. The guys really helped her over the summer learning all the dos and don'ts of society, but when was enough enough?

"More in line with let's not end up drunk on the floor crying," Finn offers.

"Or, drunk and drugged in someone's room having done things you couldn't consent to doing," Colin offers.

"We just want to make sure you're safe," Logan adds in. "Especially given your—untouched status."

"I knew I was going to regret telling you all that," Rory says, hanging her head in shame. She feels her cheeks getting hot, so she puts her hands to her cheeks to try to cool them off.

"Well, it's not as if you really had a choice," Colin adds. "That's what happens when you play truth or dare while in The London Eye with the three of us."

"Besides, Ace," Logan begins with his patented smirk, "we won't hold it against you."

"Bite me!" Rory says while tossing a tater-tot from the basket at Logan's head.

"Now, I tried that in Barcelona and you told me no way in hell," Logan's smirk widens into a full-on grin. "Having a change of heart?"

"With you, Blondie, not likely," Rory says. "I'm afraid of what I'd catch and not be able to throw back."

"Your virtue is yours to give, Kitten," Finn finally speaks up. He reaches over and pulls Rory into a side hug. "It's an odd thing for us because most girls in our world see their V-card as a nuisance. Something to get rid of as soon as possible."

"Sure, I guess. It's just having a mother who had me at sixteen leaves a mark. Sex and protection were the two things my mom stressed more than anything else." Rory sighs, wondering what she would have been like had her mom and dad had her at a more "acceptable" age. "Hell, I've been on the pill since I was sixteen, even though, obviously, I haven't needed it."

"Okay, moving on," Finn says, noticing Rory was getting upset. "So, make sure you don't accept any drink unless it comes from the bartender directly or one of us."

"Steph, Rosemary, and Juliet are okay too, but anyone else just refuse," Colin jumps in. "And if they try to force it on you, knock it out of their hands, or come get one of us."

"Are you saying other girls would potentially put something in my drink too?" Rory asks, seriously rethinking going to the party that night.

"Some girls are bitter bitches who aren't having fun unless another girl is being torn down." Everyone turns at the comment, smiling at the pretty blonde.

"Hey, Steph, when did you get here?" Colin asks, getting up to move another chair over so Steph has a place to sit.

"Just a moment ago. I heard your comment," Steph nods towards Rory. "You must be Rory, I'm Stephanie Vanderbilt. I've known these three since we were in diapers."

"And you still associate with them, I'm impressed," Rory shoots back, holding out her hand to shake across the table.

"I see why you like her, Finn," Steph smiles at the now blundering Aussie. "So, about tonight," she moves on, laughing at her flummoxed friend. "I recommend holding your drink like this," Steph takes the glass in front of Colin and holds it in one hand, her other hand loosely covering the top. "If you have a bottle of water, make sure the bartender gives it to you unopened. Then, after taking a drink, screw the top back on securely."

"Damn, it almost isn't worth it to go to these parties," Rory mutters, thinking about everything her mother had ever told her and the horror stories she's read over the years.

"The parties can be a lot of fun, but the sad fact is, you guys are vulnerable," Logan begins. "We all have our moments with treating women horribly, but I guarantee we're all up front with any woman we pursue. She knows the score before the first kiss."

"Yay for limits?" Rory questions.

"Hey, why don't I walk you back to your room and help you pick out an outfit for tonight?"

Rory was taken by surprise by the offer from the woman she'd, literally, just met, but thought maybe getting some air and a fresh perspective, from another woman, might be a good idea.

"Um, sure," Rory says, moving to slide her purse off the back of the chair. "What's my part of lunch?"

"Kitten, Kitten, Kitten," Finn lightly clucks his tongue, "you know better than that. My mother would cut off my balls if I let you play for lunch. Or anything, for that matter, when you're with me. And she wouldn't think twice since she has Alex to give her grandchildren."

"I do seem to recall her saying something along those lines the one time I met her in London," Rory says, laughing at the memory of Finn's mother, Annabeth, and her strict society ways, yet, non-society way of getting her point across. "Your mom is the best."

"I did get lucky with that one," Finn replies. He gets up from his chair, pulling out Rory's chair for her and giving her a hug. "I'll see you at eight tonight. It's only a couple buildings over from Branford, but I don't want you walking over alone after dark."

"Yes, sir!" Rory smartly salutes Finn before turning and leaving the pub with Stephanie.

"Oh, and Steph, play nicely," Colin calls out after his pseudo-girlfriend.


	7. Chapter 7 Pardon Me, is That Your Beer?

Chapter 7

Pardon Me, is This Your Beer?

As the two women walk back toward campus, Stephanie couldn't help asking, "So, what's going on between you and Finn?"

"What do you mean?" Rory looks toward the blonde questioningly. "We're just friends."

"Well, it's obvious he's into you," Stephanie says. "I've never seen him act the way he does toward you around any girl. You're all he talks about."

"We're just friends," Rory repeats. She ignores how her heart skips a beat at the idea that Finn might like her as something more than a friend. He was quite clear back in March that he wasn't a commitment kind of guy. "He's told me he doesn't do commitment, and I'm definitely a commitment kind of girl."

"Well, I think he might be willing to change his mind on that," Stephanie says with a grin. "If you told him you were interested in dating him, I would bet my Louboutin's he would jump at the chance."

"I know I've just met you, Stephanie," Rory begins, "but I think you're cracked." Rory breathes a sigh of relief when Stephanie laughs, not taking offense at all.

"Well, I think you're cracked, but I'll drop it for now," Stephanie says. As they near Branford she asks, "So, what do you think you're going to wear tonight?"

"I'm really not sure. Given that the guys told me to make sure everything was washable, I figure I'll wear some jeans and a tank under a t-shirt. My chucks are a given."

"Probably a good idea," Stephanie agrees. "LDB parties are more refined, but the dorm parties can get pretty sticky. Even I dress down for these parties. Can't let another pair of heels get ruined. Oh, and the silk t-shirt that was ruined last year was one of my favs."

"So, why do we go to these parties?" Rory asks as she pulls her keys out of her pocket. Opening the door, she's taken aback at Paris who rushes towards her.

"Where have you been? It doesn't take that long to put up posters," Paris nearly screams. "You can't just disappear like that. I need you Rory."

"Paris, I told you I was going to go to lunch with the guys." Rory moves into the room, Stephanie behind her.

Before the door is even shut fully, Paris is already on the attack. "Well, well, well, if it isn't Stephanie Vanderbilt, or should I say, Tristan's upper-class bimbo."

"Paris!" Rory yells appalled at her roommate's attitude.

"Ah, Paris Gellar, I'm surprised you're not in a padded cell," Stephanie says. "Didn't plan on going to Harvard?"

"Rory, she was the one to take Tristan's virginity," Paris says, completely ignoring the Harvard comment. Paris starts pleading with her eyes for Rory to get the other girl out of their room.

"If I recall correctly," Rory begins, "you wanted to be one of Tristan's bimbos too, and who cares who he gave his virginity too?"

"Rory—"

"Paris—stop. Go to your room and take a Valium, Ativan, or Xanax, whatever your doctor is prescribing to you this week," Rory says, pointing the high strung woman toward her room.

"Are you going to be around tonight?" Paris asks as she starts toward her room.

"No, I'm going to the Stanton party with the guys. I thought Terrance was coming over to keep you company?"

"He is. He thought he could work with us on our communication skills," Paris says. Standing in the doorway of her room she adds, "I guess I'll tell him you were too busy."

"You do that Paris. I'll see you later," Rory says, and she leads Stephanie into her own room. There was no way Rory was going to spend Saturday night talking with Paris' life coach. "I love her, but Paris is a lot of work," Rory adds as she shuts her door.

"She's always been like that," Stephanie says, going straight for Rory's closet.

"So, you and Tristan," Rory begins, unsure if she really wants to hear the story.

"Yeah, well, I was going through some things at home and he was into older girls, so—" Stephanie trails off, looking back at the shocked look on Rory's face. "You and he, did you ever?"

"Me and Tristan? God no!" Rory exclaims. Continuing she adds, "Though it wasn't for lack of trying on his part."

"It didn't last long with the two of us," Stephanie says, turning back to Rory's closet. "I got sent to boarding school that Christmas."

"I guess that's why I never saw you," Rory says, moving to stand beside Stephanie as she pulls clothes out of the closet. "I didn't start Chilton until our Sophomore year."

"Wait, you—" Stephanie turns towards Rory, assessing her closely. "You're Tristan's Mary," she continues with glee. "Oh, wow, I never thought I'd get to meet the girl who turned Tristan down. Again, and again."

"UGH! I hate that nickname," Rory says. "How do you know about that anyway? You were gone by the time I got there."

"Tristan and I kept in touch," Stephanie says with a shrug. She stands by Rory's bed, putting different shirts and jeans together to see how they look. "We were friends before we hooked up and emailed each other once we both got shipped away from Hartford."

"That makes sense I guess," Rory says, pulling a couple tank tops out of her drawer, looking for something to match what Stephanie was putting together.

"Here's what you should wear tonight," Stephanie says, holding up a pair of black jeans with a Prince _Purple Rain_ concert t-shirt. "Is this a real concert tee?"

"Uh, yeah, it used to be my mom's," Rory says with a shrug, fingering the hem of the shirt. "She and my dad had tickets to this concert in Hartford in March of 1985, but I came along in October of 1984 and after I was born, well, it just didn't seem to be the thing to do. So, my dad went by himself, I think anyway, but he wanted my mom to have something from the concert, so he got her this t-shirt. It was a poor substitute for seeing Prince on stage, but whatcha going to do?"

"Finn said you could ramble. That was impressive." Stephanie places the clothes on the bed before turning back toward Rory. "I'll go get out of your hair, but I can't wait to spend more time with you. I think we're going to become the best of friends."

"It's been great getting to know you a bit," Rory says as she follows Stephanie back into the common room. "I'll see you tonight."

After Stephanie left, Rory goes back to her room, thinking about how normally she would be chatting with her mother while getting ready for the party. They would normally be giggling while Lorelai made suggestive comments about Rory getting "dirty" with a boy from the party.

Not wanting to dwell on the fact she and her mother were in an odd place, Rory decides to take a nap before the party, suspecting she would be out rather late.

Paris wakes Rory in time to have a quick meal in the dining hall. Rory ignores most of what Paris is prattling on about, not wanting to get into a deep conversation about Asher Fleming. After dinner, Rory takes a quick shower before putting on her outfit then begins to work on her hair.

"Paris, do you think I should leave my hair down, or pull it back?" Rory asks her roommate who was sitting in the common room watching CNN.

"Maybe half up, half down?" Paris questions, sparing a quick glance toward her roommate. "Unless you think you'll get totally wasted. Then I'd put it up, so you don't have to depend on anyone to hold your hair back while you puke."

"Gee, thanks for that lovely image," Rory says as she goes back to her room. She decides to put her hair half up, knowing she wouldn't be drinking that much. If nothing else, Finn and the guys wouldn't let her get that drunk.

She uses the butterfly barrettes her mother had given her for Christmas, choosing to ignore the little pang in her heart at the thought of her mother. Hearing a knock at the door, Rory gives herself one last look in the mirror before placing her key on her belt like her mother had taught her.

"Rory, your boy toy is here," Paris barks from the common room.

"PARIS!" Rory yells as she moves through her bedroom door. "We're just friends," she adds, feeling the blush rise up her cheeks.

"Now, don't break my heart, Kitten," Finn smirks, winking at Paris. "She totally guts me every time," he adds with a smirk.

"Hush," Rory says, hitting him playfully on the arm.

"Shall we go," Finn says, holding out his arm.

"We shall," Rory slightly bows before taking his arm.

"Don't let anyone roofie you," Paris yells out as the door closes.

"She wouldn't be Paris if she didn't bring the room down," Rory says with a light laugh.

"She doesn't need to worry, Kitten," Finn says as she puts his arm around Rory's shoulder. "We won't let anything happen to you. I won't let anything happen to you," he added with feeling.

"I know," Rory says, hugging Finn to her side. "I trust you guys. I trust you."

"That makes my heart sore," Finn replies, hugging her back.

"This is our dorm," Finn says as they pass Berkeley Hall. "Just in case you ever want to visit."

"Good to know," Rory says.

After a couple minutes, the duo reaches Stanton hall. "Here we go," Finn says as he opens the door, letting Rory precede him into the dorm.

"Saddle up," Rory couldn't help saying. She laughs at the shocked expression on Finn's face. "What?"

"You're a very unique person," Finn says with a laugh.

"At least I'm not boring," she shoots back.

"Never that," Finn retorts.

Walking up the stairs, the two hear the sounds of the party. As they move into one of the open rooms, Finn spots Colin and Logan, leading Rory toward the two men who were hanging out at the bar.

"Mates," Finn says, "how's the party?"

"It's still early on," Colin states, glancing around the room. "There's quite a few missing yet."

Finn laughs as he glances around too, noticing that Stephanie, Rosemary, and Juliet haven't shown up yet. "It's only just now nine. I'm sure the girls are just wanting to be fashionably late."

Rory listens to the boys' banter back and forth, glancing around the room taking in the groups of students chatting and drinking. "What am I doing here?" She whispers. She's definitely feeling out of place as she watches everyone drinking from bottles of beer or Solo cups.

"What was that?" Logan asks Rory as he gets another drink from the bartender.

"Nothing," Rory mumbles. "Could you get me a drink?" She asks Finn. "Nothing too strong?"

"Sure thing, Kitten," Finn says turning toward the bartender. "One scotch, and a sex on the beach, good man."

"Finn," Rory says, blushing.

"It's just a drink, Love, I'm not propositioning you." Finn laughs at Rory's cute blushing. "At least not yet. A few more drinks and that might change."

"There's the girls," Colin says after a moment. He steps away from the group, walking toward the door where two blondes and a redhead just walked in.

Rory looks over where Colin was, noticing the gorgeous girls, then down at her casual attire and felt inadequate. Why didn't she choose a more sparkling top or done something more with her hair? Stephanie's idea of dressing down was bright pink jeans that fit like a second skin. Her tank top was black with a sheer pink top over it. On her feet were boots that surely cost more than Rory's book collection. The other two girls were similarly dressed, the redhead in a tight miniskirt with bright green tights.

"Rory, this is Juliet, Rosemary, and of course Stephanie," Colin says, making the introductions.

Juliet, the second blonde, was the first to move forward. "Hi, Rory. It's a pleasure to meet you," her society smile was firmly in place. "Finn talks about you constantly."

"I hope it's good things," Rory says before turning to smile up at Finn. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well." Rory holds her hand out to shake. She then turns to the redhead. "You must be Rosemary," she says. "I've heard you keep Finn on his toes."

"I'm the allusive redhead he thinks he wants," Rosemary says with a chuckle. "Though, I'm pretty sure he's over redheads and going for a slightly darker hued hair these days."

Rory looks at Finn quizzically. "Really? I was sure he was a do or die for redheads."

Finn just shrugged before glancing around the room.

"I see someone from my classes last semester," Rory says as she surveys the room as well. "Excuse me for a moment?" She asks the group. Getting nods all around, she moves off to speak to her former classmate.

"What were you cracking on about, Rosemary?" Finn says as soon as Rory was out of earshot.

"Get off it, Finn," Rosemary shoots back, "we all know you've got a thing for the girl."

"You're cracked," Finn says before grabbing his drink and walking off.

The ones left behind all look toward one another before cracking up and laughing loudly.

"Who's got the list for the bet," Juliet asks as she watches Finn hit on a redhead near the window.

"I think Robert's keeping it since he hasn't been privy to most of Finn and Rory's interactions." Logan moved his gaze from his friend to Rory who was in an animated conversation with someone he thought was on the paper.

"Great," Stephanie says, speaking for the first time. "I'll have to find him later. I bet they won't last the first semester."

"I've got the LDB event next weekend," Colin adds. "The way they were interacting the few times I saw them over the summer, and the way he changed after meeting her during spring break, he's a goner."

"I've got his birthday," Logan adds in. "I agree with Colin. The way he was at the beginning of summer when she had that issue with her mom really showed how much he's gone over her."

"Do either of them realize it?" Rosemary asks with a small smile. She was happy for her exotic friend. Everyone thinks she and Finn had a back and forth between them, however, it was just a way to pass the time. Her heart wasn't in it, and she knew Finn's wasn't either. It was the chase they enjoyed.

"They're both oblivious," Stephanie says. "I talked with Rory a bit today when I went to her dorm room, even hinting that Finn would be interested in dating her, but she wouldn't even entertain that it was an option. She's convinced he couldn't like her."

"This should be fun," Logan says. "I can't wait to see the Aussie fall."

"Cheers," Colin says, raising his cup for everyone to clink together. Everyone disperses and socializes with various friends, catching up with summer vacations and internships.

A few hours later, Finn decides to go looking for Rory to see how she was getting along. He sees her across the room, drink in hand. He's happy to see she has her hand covering the top of the cup like they'd told her that day at lunch.

As he's making his way toward her, a woman brushes past him, striding toward Rory in a determined fashion. He pauses as the woman approaches the two friends talking and watches as she flings her drink into Rory's face.

He hurries to her side, pulling his handkerchief from his pocket and dabbing at Rory's face. He glances toward the guy she'd been talking to, recognizing a friend from the LDB. "Brandon, put a leash on your girl," he nearly growls as he notices the woman who'd flung the drink was Brandon's longtime girlfriend.

"Hey," Brandon and Liza both yell, each offended by Finn's comment.

"Don't be a bitch and you won't need a leash," Finn yells back, focusing on Rory. "You okay, Kitten?" He asks.

"What the hell was that for?" Rory asks, trying to brush some of the alcohol off her.

"Stay away from my man," Liza mumbles drunkenly.

"We were discussing the Yale Daily News, you twit," Rory shoots back, slightly tipsy, and more than a little pissed that she was now reeking of beer. "If you can't trust your _man_," Rory begins with a sneer, "it's not my problem. You need to take it up with him."

She moves away from the stuttering, mumbling couple, flinging beer off her hands as she walks away. "What a mess," she says pulling her shirt away from herself slightly. "Finn, can you walk me home?"

"Sure thing, Kitten," Finn says. He looks around quickly finding Logan chatting up a blonde near the door. As Rory and he walk toward the exit he nods his head toward Logan, indicating he was taking off. Logan nods back before turning back to his friend.

"That was quite a turn of events," Rory says as she and Finn get to the sidewalk outside Stanton Hall.

"Not the best way to end the night," Finn agrees.

"What time is it?" Rory asks having forgotten her watch.

"One thirty," Finn replies after pulling out his phone. "Is that a problem?"

"I don't want to risk waking Paris up. She's an extremely light sleeper most of the time," Rory explains. "And given her temperamental attitude right now I don't want to push her. I don't need a lecture from her on the evils of parties and alcohol."

"You could always come stay in our suite," Finn offers. "Colin will probably spend the night with Stephanie. You may have to deal with Logan and his conquest if he's successful, but we have cork board on each of our walls to help deaden the sound."

"Oh my," Rory begins, unsure what to say about the cork. "But you won't be able to have your redhead," she finally offers with a cheeky grin.

"It's quite all right," Finn responds. "I'm not feeling it tonight," he adds. "I'll just snuggle with you for a bit and life will be right as rain."

Rory looks at him quizzically. His accent was a little thicker, indicating he'd had a few drinks, but not so slurred that he was completely wasted. "If you're sure, then I would appreciate it. Can I take a shower? And do you have something I can sleep in?" Rory begins to ramble.

"Don't worry about it," Finn says as he moves into the breezeway of his dorm. They move up a flight of stairs as he adds, "I'm sure I can find something for you." He unlocks his door, leading Rory into the common room of the suite. "Welcome to our humble home."

"Quite decadent," Rory responds after looking around the room. A dark brown leather sofa and a matching recliner angled toward a large screen tv attached to the outer wall next to the door make up the center of the room. A large glass fronted cabinet next to the tv holds the electronics for the tv along with an untold number of DVDs.

"You have a proper kitchen, too, I see," she adds when she turns to face Finn. "That's very nice."

"Perks of daddy providing a lot of money to the university," Finn replies with a shrug. "Come with me and I'll get you some sweats and a t-shirt for you to put on. We can rinse out your shirt and it should be dry by morning."

"What, no washer/drier in here? Shame on daddy for not providing everything," Rory says with a laugh.

"Well, they thought we should have to experience something at college like everyone else. Community laundry rooms was their compromise."

"Poor rich babies," Rory teases him before giving his arm a squeeze.

"We'll survive," Finn says with a smirk, not at all offended with her teasing. He moves off toward the kitchen, across from two other rooms with closed doors.

"So, your room doesn't adjoin the other two?" Rory asks as she follows Finn into his room.

"No, I got the short straw this year so I got the room without common walls," Finn replies as he flicks on the overhead light tossing his keys and wallet onto his desk which was against the wall right next to the door.

"Nice way of being democratic about it," Rory says looking around the room. She smiles at the double bed against the wall, laughing at the fact Finn wouldn't sleep on the standard twin. She notices the chair in the other corner of the room, beside a floor to ceiling bookshelf. She shuts the door partially to look at the posters on the closet door.

"What, no nudie girls for your walls?" She laughs at the affronted look Finn gives her.

"I have some taste, Love," Finn replies as he rummages through the small dresser between the end of his bed and his desk. "Here's a pair of sweats that aren't too big," Finn says, handing her the pants. "They have a drawstring at least so you can tighten them up, so they won't fall off."

"Thanks, Finn," Rory says. "Do you have a shirt, and perhaps a pair of boxers I could borrow?"

"Sure," Finn says as he continues digging through his drawers. "Here's one of my Yale shirts," he tosses over his shoulder, not looking to see if she was able to catch it. "And, you're in luck, me mum sent me off to school with a new pack of boxer briefs. Fresh out of the package," he says, turning to see Rory blush as he hands her the shorts.

"Gotta love a mum who takes care of her baby boy," Rory replies as she takes the shorts, laying them on top of the other clothes. "Bathroom is where?" She asks as she turns to move out of Finn's room.

"Right this way," Finn follows her back out into the common room, leading her to the right passed the kitchenette to the third closed door. "There's a basket of girlie things under the sink," he says as he opens the door for her. "Here's a towel for you, and a new luffa."

"This is awfully—um—feminine of you guys." Rory tries not to offend her friend; however, she was just tipsy enough to let her thoughts flow out her mouth. "Sorry, that's rude."

"No offense taken, Kitten," Finn smiles at Rory. "It's actually something Stephanie put together for us. With her staying here with Colin many nights and Logan's 'girls' wanting to shower in the morning before going back to their room, it just made sense."

"Your girls don't use these?" She asks as she picks through the various products in the basket.

"I'm usually the one doing the walk of shame across campus," Finn says striking a pose. "In my case, though, it's more of a strut."

"That I can see," Rory says. "Thank you for letting me invade your space. I really don't want to think about what kind of lecture Paris would have given me."

"It's no problem, Kitten," Finn says with affection. "You can invade my space anytime you want." Realizing what he'd said, he quickly turned toward the door. "I'll let you have a shower, then we'll rinse your shirt and hang it over the shower rod to dry."

"Sure," Rory says, a little confused with Finn's sudden shift in attitude. Once the door closes, Rory strips off her clothes, placing her barrettes and her room key on the counter before getting into the shower, letting the hot water run down her body. She thinks back over the night, realizing she'd had fun despite the way it had ended.

After washing her hair, Rory steps out of the shower, drying off before putting on Finn's clothes. She used her towel to wrap up her hair, trying to get as much moisture out of it as she could before going to sleep. Stepping out of the bathroom she notices Finn has changed into a pair of sweats and a t-shirt of his own.

"All better, Kitten?" He asks as Rory moves toward the sofa and sitting beside him.

"Much," she says. "I don't smell like a brewery. And I'm not all wet."

"Well, if wet is what you want," Finn begins with a leer.

"Down boy," Rory laughs, playfully smacking his shoulder. "So, do you have an extra blanket and pillow? This sofa is quite nice. I should get a nice sleep on this." She takes the towel from around her head, rubbing her hair roughly to help dry it. She takes a moment to run her fingers through the wet strands to work out any knots.

"Now, you know I won't let you sleep out here, Kitten," Finn says, getting up and pulling Rory up off the sofa. "Who knows who might ogle you while you sleep. Especially if Logan comes back alone," he adds with a smirk. "Come on, I'll tuck you in before coming back out here to sleep."

Rory followed Finn into his bedroom. She glances toward the double bed, knowing she wouldn't let him sleep on the sofa either.

"Finn," Rory begins, "you know, this bed is plenty big enough for both of us. We've slept on a sofa together a couple times and that's much smaller. If you promise no funny business, you can sleep in here with me."

"Are you sure, Kitten?" Finn asks, looking toward his friend. It was true, they had fallen asleep a couple times in London while watching movies while Rory had been on vacation. If he were honest, it was the best sleep he'd had in quite some time.

"Finn, you're my friend, and I trust you," Rory says, moving toward the bed and turning down the covers. "One question though, you haven't been up to anything—freaky—in this bed, have you? I mean, I don't mind sleeping here, but I don't want to be sleeping in—"

Finn smiles at the cute flush creeping up Rory's face and the fact she couldn't finish her thought. "No worries, Kitten, I've only been on campus for a day and a half. I haven't had time to get up to any freakiness in here."

"Not even solo?" Rory asks, unable to look him in the eye.

"Not even solo, Love," Finn replies with a smile. "I usually save that for the shower. Less of a mess to clean up you know." He laughs at her stunned look. "You're cute when you blush."

"Stop it," Rory says, blushing even more. She climbs into the bed, patting the space beside her. "Come on, Finnster, let's get some sleep. I've got a busy day tomorrow."

Finn slides under the covers, turning to lay on his right side, facing Rory. "Night, Kitten," he says, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"Night, Finn," Rory replies, moving over to kiss his cheek. "Love you," she whispers as she falls asleep.

"Love you too, Kitten," Finn says, brushing Rory's hair off her face before closing his eyes and falling asleep as well.


	8. Chapter 8 Virgin Sacrifices?

Chapter 8 – Virginal Sacrifices? Nah, Nothing so Dramatic

Wednesday, shortly before lunchtime, Rory finds herself back in her room. Dropping her books onto her desk, she lets out a deep sigh thinking the first week of classes was going to do her in. It's her own fault really. The first week at Yale was called shopping week. It was a chance for students to test out classes before committing to a sixteen-week course. Most students choose seven or eight to "shop" before deciding on four or five.

Of course, Rory had to be over-industrious and was shopping fifteen classes, hoping to narrow it down to five. She did learn from her frustration last semester and was only shopping classes that were required for her degree or minor.

As she moves around her room, Rory notices that there was an envelope taped to the outside of her window. Wondering who would have been so secretive, she quickly unlocks her window, pulling the envelope down before locking the window back. She moves to her bed, settling with her back against her pillows before opening the envelope and dumping its contents onto her comforter.

"What the—" she begins, picking up a short black silk scarf. Along with the scarf is a stiff card with calligraphy writing on it. The black matte finish of the card stock causes the silver writing to pop.

Lorelai "Rory" Gilmore III

You are hereby cordially invited

To a weekend getaway extravaganza

Are you ready for the adventure to begin?

Sincerely,

LDB

"LDB?" Rory wonders out loud. "So, I'll finally get to find out what the guys are always going on about," she mutters going back to the black scarf and wondering what it was all about.

Looking into the envelope, she notices there was a folded sheet of paper. Pulling it out, she opens it to read the instructions for the adventure she would be going on. "You've got to be kidding me," she moans as she reads that the scarf is actually to be used as a blindfold. "They're all cracked if they think I'll just go along with this."

She reaches over to her nightstand, quickly hitting speed dial two. "Come on, Finnegan Morgan, answer your phone," Rory mutters as the call rings over to voicemail. "Are you guys all cracked? Has the alcohol soaked to your brain and made you think I would just do what the directions say without any questioning? Cracked. Call me back you ouf."

Even though she told her friend otherwise, she knows she'll be standing outside her dorm with the blindfold on at ten on Friday just as the directions required.

Normally she would call her mother to discuss this unique situation. Lorelai would help her work through her pro/con list, helping her decide if the "adventure" is something she was comfortable with going on. Lorelai would gently push her daughter to step out of her comfort zone, knowing her friends wouldn't put her in danger.

Rory looks at her clock, realizing she had a bit of time before meeting Stephanie and the other girls for lunch. She decides to call her grandfather to let him know she wouldn't be at Friday night dinner. She figures he would be more accepting of the information given that it has to do with school.

Quickly she hit speed dial four, hoping her grandfather wasn't at lunch. When her grandfather's secretary answers the phone, she quickly asks for her grandpa.

"Richard Gilmore," her grandpa's deep voice comes over the phone.

"Hi, Grandpa, it's Rory," Rory says in reply.

"Hello, Rory. What do I owe to the pleasure of your call? Is everything all right at school?" She could hear the happiness and a tinge of worry in his voice.

"Everything's fine, Grandpa," Rory begins. Not wanting to take up too much of her grandfather's time, she quickly gets to the point. "I'm calling about Friday night dinner. There's this thing at school, well, I'm not sure how much it actually has to do with school, but there's this—thing, or group called the LDB and I've been invited to something this weekend. It begins on Friday at ten, however, so I'll need to miss dinner Friday night. Could you please explain to Grandma for me?"

Rory could hear her grandfather laugh through the phone before speaking. "That's quite a bit of information to take in, but if I'm understanding correctly you want to ditch your grandmother and I for more exciting entertainment."

"That's not what I meant at all, Grandpa," Rory begins wondering how she will soothe her grandfather's feelings.

"I'm just kidding, Rory," Richard quickly says. "I know you, if not enjoy, at least tolerate our Friday night dinners. Missing one here or there is nothing to worry about."

"Thank you, Grandpa," Rory replies. "And I do enjoy the Friday night dinners. Usually," she adds thinking about some of the more contentious dinners.

"Enjoy your adventure this weekend. I can't wait to hear what you did. Goodbye, Rory," Richard says before hanging up.

Rory wonders briefly about her grandfather's use of the word adventure, however, looking over toward her clock she realizes if she doesn't get ready quickly, she will miss her lunch with the girls and also be late getting to her afternoon classes.

Vowing to deal with the LDB mess later that evening, Rory grabs her messenger bag, keys, and quickly leaves her room.

The rest of the week goes by in a blur for Rory. She had been so frazzled on Wednesday trying to get to lunch on time that she hadn't thought about asking any of the girls about the LDB. Each of the guys were playing least in sight, so she made it to Friday morning knowing little more than she already had about what she assumes is a secret group.

Research at the Yale Daily News produced only a picture of men in suits and gorilla masks jumping from a bridge with umbrellas. The only name in the caption was Elias Huntzberger, proving that Logan was indeed in the group. She already knew that, however, because of the few comments the guys had let slip.

After her only class at eight Friday morning, Rory hurries back to her room to pack her messenger bag for whatever she was getting herself into. Not knowing what, or how long, the adventure entails, she packs a change of clothes, a couple sets of underwear (because who wanted to wear the same underwear several days in a row) along with a couple books for the courses she's settled on for the semester.

With no time to grab lunch in the dining hall, Rory grabs a couple of granola bars Paris keeps handy. She also grabs a travel cup and fills it with coffee, knowing if she didn't have the strong brew, she might hurt someone.

Exactly at ten Rory is standing out in the breezeway of her dorm, blindfold on waiting for what was to come next.

"Ready for the adventure of your life, Kitten," Rory hears Finn whisper in her ear.

"As long as it doesn't lead to my death or dismemberment, I'm game," Rory replies, already being led to wherever Finn was taking her.

"Just what I like to hear," Finn chuckles before helping Rory into what Rory assumes is one of the guy's SUVs.

"So, do I get to take the blindfold off, or is it Patty Hearst for me the whole trip?" Rory can't help asking as the vehicle starts to move.

"When we get to our first destination, we'll let you take it off for a bit," Logan says somewhere to her left.

"I hope you don't mind that this trip will take up the entire weekend," Colin says behind her.

"I'm flexible," Rory responds. "You all know that, Colin. Logan."

"I like my women flexible," Finn shoots out. Rory suspects he's the one driving. He usually does when the group is together.

"I thought the blindfold was secure? Finn, you let her see?" Colin grouses.

"Don't twist your knickers, Colin," Finn argues. "The blindfold is secure."

"Did you think I wouldn't recognize your voices?" Rory asks. "I've only spent several hours with you all. Not to mention you've let slip bits about whatever the LDB is."

"Fine, fine," Colin concedes.

"We're here," Finn says after a few minutes of silence. "Kitten, I'll help you get to where we need to be. There are several steps to climb, but I promise not to let you fall."

"I trust you, Finn," Rory says as she feels Finn take her arm.

Once Finn and Rory climb the stairs, Rory feels Finn settle her into a plush chair or sofa. A moment later, Finn takes off the blindfold, watching as Rory adjusts to the light in the cabin of the jet.

"So, does anyone want to fill me in on this little adventure?" She asks, knowing she probably wouldn't get a straight answer.

"There are a couple of destinations and you will know all in time," Robert says as he moves over toward Rory, handing her a glass of champagne.

"You all know I'm not good with surprises, right?" Rory says.

"Don't worry, Kitten, we'll fill you in as we go along. It won't be a mystery forever." Finn sits beside her for a moment. "Now, I have a letter here for you to read. It's from your grandfather, Richard."

"If it's to me, from Grandpa, why is it opened?" Rory asks as she takes the envelope from Finn.

"Because we had to be sure that he didn't accidentally reveal anything we didn't want known yet," Logan responds, sitting on the sofa across from Rory. "It would ruin the integrity of the event," he adds with a smirk.

"It's still a bit intrusive don't you think?" Rory says, not backing down.

"Kitten," Finn begins, taking her right hand in his. "I promise I'm the only one who read it, and it was more of a skim, just to make sure no details were exposed."

"Fine, I guess," Rory sighs. "Can I at least read this alone?" She asks after a moment.

"Sure thing," Finn says, pointing toward more captain's chairs toward the back of the plane. "You can head back there. I'll go make sure we're ready to go."

Rory half listens to Finn as he asks Logan and Colin about some guy named Seth. Figuring out that this person was at their final destination she quickly pulled out the letter from her grandfather and began to read.

My Dearest Rory,

I know it must seem odd that you would receive a letter from me before heading off on this trip. I promise that you are in good hands and I have the utmost faith in your friends that they will keep you safe. I won't say much about the LDB now because I don't want to interfere with the integrity of the events coming up; however, I will say that if you choose to, the people you meet this weekend will become lifelong friends who will continue to be there for you long after you've left the hallowed halls of Yale.

Now, I know you are quite the willful independent woman your mother raised you to be. I also know you would never consider touching the money in the account I set up for you for this trip. However, you won't need to. Your friend, Finn, has another envelope for you that is from your Great Grandmother Trix. When you were born, she set up a trust fund for you that has grown quite considerably.

When you were a junior at Chilton, she considered giving you access to the trust in order to pay your tuition. Unfortunately, a disagreement between her, your grandmother, and mother caused Trix to take it back. She wants you to have this money now. I know you will say you don't need it, but my dear, you are entering into a new phase of your life, and I want you to have all that you need to not only be successful, but to also never feel less than.

We can talk more at the next Friday night dinner, but please, for me, for Trix, use the money as you need this weekend. Don't worry about not having "earned" it as your mother would say. You have more than earned this money by simply being the best granddaughter in the world.

Be safe and I will see you when you return.

Your Loving Grandfather

Rory couldn't help the few tears that escaped her eyes. She quickly wipes them away, before looking around the plane to see if anyone noticed. She catches Finn staring at her, but, to his credit, he doesn't immediately come to her to find out what was wrong.

She surveys the interior of the plane, marveling at the simplicity, yet, understated elegance. She would ask Finn later who had decorated it. For now, she places the letter into her messenger bag, stowing it in the overhead bin before moving toward Finn to have him introduce her to those she didn't know.

As the group prepared for takeoff, Rory sat on the plush beige sofa next to Finn. After buckling her seatbelt, Rory turned to her friend asking, "Do you mind if I hold your hand during takeoff?" The group is noisy as they each person finds a seat, so no one was paying attention to her or Finn.

"Whatever you need, Kitten," Finn responds, enveloping Rory's small hand into his larger one. He laces their fingers before adding, "Not fond of air flight?"

"More just the take off," Rory responds, squeezing Finn's hand slightly. "Something about the feeling of being lifted off the ground and knowing there's nothing but air underneath you is a bit unnerving."

"Don't worry about it," Finn replies, kissing her temple. "If I'm being honest, which never reveal what I'm about to say, I'm not particularly fond of landings."

"Really?" Rory shoots back with surprise. "Why not?"

"Well, when I was younger, we had a pilot who couldn't land a plane to save his life." Finn couldn't help chuckling lowly as he thought about that pilot. "He really sucked at it. Every time he came in for a landing, he would literally bounce the plane down the runway. There were many times my da thought we would run out of runway before he got control of the plane."

"That must have been scary," Rory said, wondering if the pilot was so bad why they kept him employed. "How long did he work for your family?"

"Only about three months," Finn says. "I think it was the third or fourth trip my mum was on that got him fired. When the plane finally pulled up to the terminal she informed my father if he didn't fire the 'incompetent sot' immediately he wouldn't have a wife any longer."

"Oh, wow, she must have really hated the pilot to threaten divorce," Rory responds with a laugh. She'd met Finn's mom, Annabeth, over the summer and had no doubt the fiery lady would make good on her promise to her husband.

"Considering he broke two antique vases she was taking to a friend, yeah, she was a bit peeved you could say." Finn let his thumb rub back and forth over her thumb to distract her. "In any case, the pilot was fired immediately and before they left, London I think it was, a new pilot had been found."

"Wow talk about first world problems," Rory murmurs.

"Yes, well, we all have our crosses to bare," Finn replies.

"Finn, I'm sorry, that must have sounded so rude," Rory said, turning to look at her friend. When she sees his smirk, she lightly punches him in the arm. "Brat," she calls out.

"Yes, well, it worked as a fine distraction didn't it, Kitten?" Finn asks. "See, we're in the air and you were none the wiser about how we managed that."

"You're sneaky," Rory replies.

"I wouldn't be worth my salt in this group if I wasn't," Finn shoots back. "Now, I have this other letter for you from Richard. He explained, to a degree, who it was from and what it says, so I didn't read it. I'll leave you to it, hmmm, and get us a beverage or two for the remainder of the flight?"

"That sounds wonderful," Rory says, squeezing Finn's hand one last time before releasing it. As he unbuckles his seatbelt and gets up to go make drinks he slipps a sealed envelope out of his jacket pocket and hands it to Rory.

"Any preference of drink?" Finn asks.

"Nothing too strong, given I don't know what's coming up," Rory says, smiling at the mischievous look on Finn's face.

"All in good time, Kitten. All in good time."

Rory watches as Finn works his way to toward the front of the plane and the flight attendant before turning to the letter in her hand. She slips her nail under the flap, opening the envelope with ease. She pulls out the pages of the letter, along with a black card she'd become familiar with over the summer. Choosing to ignore the black AMEX for the moment, Rory turns to the letter her great grandmother had written to her.

My Dearest Lorelai the Third,

It is with great honor and regret that I pen this letter today to give you what is rightfully yours. My regret is that I couldn't give it to you when you were in high school. It would have given me great pleasure to pay for your education, if for no other reason that to allow you not to be beholden to your grandmother, Emily. I stood back and watched the way she browbeat your mother with the money for Chilton, but I didn't know how to stop it. My son has always turned a blind eye to Emily's controlling ways. Love will do that to us from time to time. In any case, in order to keep the peace, so to speak, I backed off. Instead I left it to your grandfather, knowing he would know the perfect time to give it to you.

You have the Gilmore strength in you, dear Rory, and I know you will use the money wisely. Don't let your mother's hatred for society prevent you from experiencing all that you can in life. Societal expectations are hard to live up to, but I know you will succeed in anything you set your mind to do in this world. Use this money to help you reach your goals, but don't forget to have fun. All too soon you will be at my age where success is measured in simply waking up in the morning and fun is finding your glasses. Don't let life pass you by, my dear.

Now, your grandfather will have seen to the specifics of this trust for you. His money manager will oversee the trust and pay the balance of the Amex card every month. You will, of course, get the statements from both the card and the trust. Spend wisely and this will see you through many fun filled years.

You are my Richard's pride and joy, Rory, and I hope this helps ease the way. Enjoy your time at Yale. The friends you meet in college will remain lifelong friends.

In Omnia Paratus,

Trix

Rory read through the letter several times, laughing at the small dig Trix managed to get in regarding Emily and tearing up thinking that her grandfather was proud of her. She remembered back to the argument her mom, Emily, and Trix had gotten into, but couldn't remember what exactly had set Lorelai the Second off. She looks at the last page, noticing it was a bank statement, presumably for the trust. Rory's jaw nearly falls to the floor when she sees the number of zeros in the trust.

"You okay, Kitten," Finn asks as he sits back down beside Rory.

Not getting an answer he waves her drink in front of her face, "Rory, come on now, Kitten, you're scaring poor Finnster."

"Huh," Rory responds inelegantly. "Oh, sorry, Finn," Rory says after a moment. She was still trying to process the amount of money she now had at her control. "Thanks for this," she says taking the drink from Finn's hand and downing it in one go. Rory sputters as the alcohol burns down her throat. "What the hell was that?"

"Well, Love," Finn begins in a mock southern drawl, "THAT was my scotch. I got you this lovely coffee-tini since you're so enamored with the beverage."

"Oops, sorry," Rory laughs before taking the coffee-tini and downing it.

"Uh, Kitten, should I be worried you downed two drinks in less than a minute?" Finn asks with a bit of concern. Even though the two may not have spent a large chunk of time with each other, they had talked constantly on the phone for nearly six months, so they both knew quite a bit about the other. And, Finn knew, without a doubt, that Rory wasn't a big drinker.

"Just trying to wrap my mind around my great grandmother's trust fun she set up for me," Rory responds, handing over the bank statement. Normally she wouldn't share such information with someone, however, she trusts Finn not to blab her net worth. And, maybe, just maybe, he could help her come to terms with the gift and the new card at her disposal.

Finn glances at the statement, letting out a low whistle before handing the paper back to Rory. "That's quite a few zeros there, Kitten. I'll have to keep an eye out to make sure someone doesn't try to become your sugar baby."

"My what?" Rory asks, sputtering at the idea.

"Hey, even among this upper echelon of society and money, there are people who would try to be with you because of that money," Finn says while pointing toward the letter now lying in Rory's lap. "It's a sad state that those who have money are always looking for more."

"What do you mean?" Rory asks.

"Everyone on this plane probably has a trust equal to or greater than yours," Finn begins explaining. "However, many of those same people would step over one another to connect their trust with someone who has an equal or greater trust. It's how the rich stay rich, Darling. And how they keep the poor at their feet."

"That's disgusting," Rory says, not wanting to think about people who would want to be her friend just because she now had money.

"Don't worry about it too much, Kitten," Finn says, rubbing her shoulder affectionately. "Your true friends won't care. Take Logan, Colin, and Steph. They won't give a flying pig what your net worth is. They like you because you're smart, witty, and can hold your own in a debate. Not to mention bloody gorgeous!"

"Ah, thanks, Finn. That makes me feel better," Rory says. "Marginally anyway."

"Let's just put this card here," Finn begins by picking up Rory's black AMEX, "in your wallet, and store these letters in your bag for now. When we get back to Yale next week will be soon enough to deal with everything else."

Before Rory can respond, the pilot comes over the intercom to announce their decent into New York. Finn takes Rory's hand once again, this time for his benefit.

"I love you, Finnster," Rory says as she pats his right hand with her free one.

"I love you too, Kitten," Finn responds, trying desperately not to break Rory's hand as the plane begins to land.

Once the pilot turns off the seatbelt light, Rory sees Robert and Colin get up heading toward her and Finn. Finn had already unbuckled his seatbelt and was putting on his jacket.

"Let's go, Kitten," he says looking down at me as he holds out his hand, "it's time for the first of the surprises."

"Is everyone going?" Rory asks. Looking around the plane she sees Stephanie and Juliet are also preparing to deplane; however, Logan and the rest were still seated. The flight attendant was bringing them a round of drinks.

"Nope, just us," Finn says as he threads his fingers with Rory, keeping her hand clasped in his as the group leaving begins walking down the stairs.

Reaching the tarmac Rory notices there are two cars waiting. "Are we not all going together?" she asks, trying not to sound concerned.

"That's part of the surprise," Finn says as he leads her to the closest car. Juliet and Stephanie are already standing by the opened back door, the driver standing by the driver's door. "You and the girls are going on a little shopping trip," Finn begins. "Break in that new AMEX a bit," he whispers so only Rory could here. "The guys and I are off to pick up some necessary things for the event," he finishes cryptically.

"Come on, RG," Steph says, "let's get a move on."

"Does no one remember my name?" Rory grouses as yet another nickname is put on her.

"Two hours Steph," Finn says toward the blonde, "any longer and we'll leave you here."

"Not like I couldn't find my own way to—"

"Zip," Finn says, using his fingers to close Stephanie's mouth. "Some aren't as in the know as others." Finn then turns toward Rory, taking her head in his hands. "Don't worry, Kitten, they'll be gentle," he adds before kissing her forehead and helping her into the car.

"That wasn't ominous at all," Rory mutters as she settles into the car. "I'm not about to be sacrificed as the virgin for this little group, am I?"

"You'd have to be a virgin for that to happen," Juliet sing-songs as she pours a glass of champagne for each of them. After handing Rory her drink, Juliet sees her crimson cheeks, "Oh! Well, there's nothing wrong with being a virgin," embarrassed, Juliet rambles on, "I mean, I remember my time as a virgin somewhat fondly. It was a long time ago and all, but really—hmm, a virgin at 19, who would have thunk."

"Do the guys know?" Stephanie asks in awe.

"Uh, yeah," Rory says, looking out the window, embarrassed that her 'secret' had been outed.

"No wonder Finn is your chaperone for the weekend then," Stephanie said, putting together a few things that hadn't made sense to her before. "They almost never mix genders with these things."

"What the hell have I gotten myself into?" Rory mutters but the two girls sitting on the other seat hear her.

"It's nothing that dramatic," Stephanie begins. "You could think of it as a club for rich society kids so we know there's at least one person out there that will help us without an agenda."

"I guess that's what my grandpa meant by making friends for life," Rory murmurs. "I don't have to take some blood oath, or something do I? The thought of pricking my finger and mixing my blood with someone else's kind of freaks me out. Blood in general does if I'm being honest."

"OH MY GOD! No," Juliet nearly falls off her seat laughing so hard. "And Richard Gilmore would know all about the Life and Death Brigade," she adds.

"Why?" Rory couldn't help asking.

"Because he's, and you I guess by extension, are from one of the founding families," Juliet says. The rest of her comments were interrupted as the car came to a stop.

"Okay, time to make Finn's AMEX cry," Stephanie says as the driver opens the door for the ladies. "One stop shopping for when you're on a time budget," she adds sweeping her hand toward Bergdorfs.

"Well, it's not Finn's AMEX," Rory says as she stands with the girls just looking at the building in front of them. "My grandpa gave me my own to abuse for this trip."

"Let's get to it then," Stephanie says as she links her arm with Rory's as Juliet takes Rory's other arm.

"In Omnia Paratus," Rory says laughing at the girls' shocked faces. "What? I spent a fair amount of time with the stooges this summer. I heard it a few times, and I understand Latin."

"In Omnia Paratus," Juliet and Stephanie both yell as the trio walk through the doors of the high-end department store.


	9. Chapter 9 It's a Boat

A/N: OY! I managed to get a chapter out. This was supposed to be out last weekend, however, I didn't really like the way it was turning out, so I scrapped about half of it and rewrote it. Still not super happy, but I promised someone on one of the sites I post at that I would get an update out soon. The good news is that I'm already halfway through writing the next chapter. I want to thank everyone who has liked, favorited, reviewed, etc. this story. It makes my day to know that people are reading and liking what I'm writing. Enjoy!

Chapter 9 – It's a Boat!

When the girls got back from shopping, all the bags and packages were quickly stowed before taking off. Rory sat next to Finn, again, holding hands. Once the seatbelt sign was turned off, Finn turned toward Rory.

"What would you like to do now, Kitten?"

"Would it be rude of me to just sit here and read one of my books?" Rory asks. "I figure this weekend will provide me little time for homework, so I would like to try to get at least one reading completed."

"I don't think anyone will mind, we have about four and a half hours, so get comfy." Finn pulls Rory's bag from the overhead bin, handing it to her before pointing to where Colin, Robert and a couple other guys were setting up a poker game at a table. "I'll be just over there if you need anything."

"Thanks, Finn." Rory begins digging in her bag, pulling out one of three novels she brought with her. She has two literature classes this semester and didn't want to fall behind. She was all for more socializing this year, hence why she was on the plane, but her schoolwork still came first.

Without thinking about it, three and a half hours flew by. Rory gets to the end of her book, amazed she's fallen into it so completely, though she probably shouldn't be surprised. _Emma_ was one of her favorite novels by Jane Austen. One she's read at least half a dozen times over the years. She takes a few moments to think about what she wants to say in class, making a few notes in the notebook she'd pulled out.

Done with work for now, Rory stores her stuff before moving over to the table where Colin, Robert, and Finn were still playing cards. She quickly looks around the plane, looking for the third stooge. She laughs at the girls who had sprawled out in the captain's chairs, sleeping peacefully. She glanced toward the other sofa and couldn't help smiling at Logan who was sleeping with Rachael cuddled in his arms.

Sitting in the empty seat next to Finn, Rory points over her shoulder, "How'd that happen? I thought he was all about being loose and free?"

"That, RG," Colin begins, "is what we call, LDB event hook-up."

"So, it's just for the weekend?" Rory asks, not really surprised that the guys had a name for what Logan was doing.

"Exactly," Robert replies. "You'll notice several people who are 'together' over the next few days, however, when you see them back at Yale, they will pretend they don't know each other."

"That's so strange," Rory says. "I don't understand what anyone gets out of—whatever it is. It's definitely not a relationship."

"Sex," Finn responds. "Knowing that you won't be alone for the next few days."

"That just seems so" Rory begins, "empty."

"It satisfies a certain need," Finn says, shrugging at the affronted look Rory was giving him.

"It amazes me how casual everyone seems to be about sex," Rory mutters, turning her attention to the card game. "Who's winning?"

"Finn," Colin grumbles. "Somehow, even when he's not dealing, he still manages to get the best hands."

"Just my lucky day," Finn responds before handing Colin two cards. "Two please."

Rory watches as Finn takes his two cards, shuffling them with the three cards in his hand. She notices he begins to shift the cards towards her so she could see his hand. "Don't," she urges him, covering his hand with the cards in it, "I'm horrible at poker and can't hide if I have a good hand or not. I don't want to ruin your run of good luck."

"You are my personal good luck charm, Kitten," Finn leaned over kissing her temple. He laughs at her blush, and then turns back to the game to make his final bet.

"Call," Robert says.

"Call," Colin says a few seconds after Robert.

Finn tosses in his sticky-note, calling as well. Rory watches as all three men lay down their cards. She laughs as both Robert and Colin groan and start complaining about how Finn never loses.

"So, what's on the stickies?" Rory asks. She was used to playing poker with her mother and using cookies or pretzels for bidding. She assumed the guys would use cash or chips.

"Those are the bets," Colin explains with his head in his hands.

"I'm guessing that you lost something substantial?"

"One of my Colts," Colin answers back.

"You bet a horse?" Rory asks incredulously. She shakes her head, realizing this is just one more example of how different her life was to the guys.

"No, RG. Even I wouldn't bet a living breathing thing," Colin begins. "It's a classic car. Completely restored."

"And that's not the best thing I have in this list," Finn interrupts.

Rory begins to reply, wondering what exactly the boys had been using for bets. Before she could ask, however, the pilot came over the speaker letting everyone know they were beginning their decent into Puerto Rico.

"Guess we need to go buckle up," Finn says, standing and holding his hand out for Rory.

Rory watches as Robert and Colin give each other a quick look before turning her attention to Finn. "Lead the way," she says, giving him a bright smile.

The pair move back to the sofa they had been sitting on at the beginning of the flight, sitting quickly and buckling the seatbelts. As they had when the plane was preparing for takeoff, the two clasp hands.

"Here's hoping the pilot doesn't bounce us down the runway," Rory says, squeezing Finn's hand briefly.

"From your lips to his ears," Finn responds.

Fortunately for Finn the pilot knew how to land a plane smoothly and before they knew it the stairs were being lowered for departure.

"Time for the blindfold," Finn says as he comes up behind Rory once they make it next to the cars waiting on the tarmac.

"You can't be serious, Finn," Rory complains. "I already know we're in Puerto Rico. What else is there to surprise me with?"

"You'll see shortly. There's still many surprises for you over the weekend," Finn replies as he slips the scarf over her eyes. "I promise not to let you fall."

"I trust you," Rory says as Finn helps her into the limo.

Less than ten minutes later Rory feels the limo pull to a stop. A moment later, she feels the slight breeze from the open door. A hand touches her arm, helping her from the car.

"Careful, Kitten," Finn says, "I don't want you to fall."

"Yeah, I'd hate to take a swim. Especially since I'm sure the water isn't the cleanest."

"How do you figure that," she ears Logan say.

"Easy," Rory says, turning to her left where she suspects Logan is standing. "I can smell the salt in the air, however, the 'ground' under my feet isn't squishy so I can assume we're not at the beach where we would be standing on sand."

A long bell sounds, interrupting the conversation for a moment.

"Lastly," Rory continues with a smirk, "that, if I'm not mistaken, is a harbor bell, therefore we are most likely at a marina of some sort."

"Nothing gets by this one," Colin complains. "Guess we can take the blindfold off."

"Don't sound so put out, Colin," Rory tries to placate the tight-assed man. "I'm training to be a journalist. It has to be second nature for me to use my other senses to sus things out and to always be aware of my surroundings."

"I want Reporter Girl on my team for any and all future events," Stephanie says as Finn removes the blindfold.

"Sorry, Luv, she's forever and always on my team," Finn replies as he takes Rory's hand and the group begins making their way to a small cruise ship docked at the end of the pier.

"Nice boat," Rory says, laughing as the group goggle at her choice of words.

"It's not a boat," Colin grumbles.

"O—Kay," Rory says as she rolls her eyes at him. "Nice—yacht?"

"It's a small cruise ship," Logan informs her. "That," he continues pointing toward the side of the pier, "is a yacht."

"Consider me duly chastised and newly educated," Rory snarks, sticking her tongue out at Logan.

"Let's go find our suite," Finn says, leading Rory up a gangplank and through a series of corridors. He knows if he lets his friends continue, they will bicker/banter back and forth for hours. Finally, he gets to the hallway where their suite is. With a flourish he opens a door to a massive suite.

"How many people are staying in this place? It's huge," Rory says, awe causing her to stumble over her words. "I think you could fit my mother's entire first floor inside this area."

"Meh," Colin mumbles before moving off to the left and dragging Stephanie behind him. He goes into what Rory assumes is one of the bedrooms. She sees two other doors while simultaneously counting the number of people in the group.

"Uh, so, how are the sleeping arrangements being made?" She turns to Finn who has a sheepish look on his face.

"Well, see, Kitten," Finn begins, "You and Steph were supposed to be in one room with Logan and Robert sharing a room and Colin and I sharing the other." Finn pauses to run his hand through his hair. "Obviously Colin and Steph are now sharing, I would share with Logan or Robert, however, Logan cuddles, which I don't necessarily mind until he gets handsy,"

"Hey, that was once," Logan yells.

"and Robert steals covers." Finn continues, ignoring Logan's complaints.

"So, I guess you're telling me that you're my roomie for however long we're on this boat?"

"Ship," Logan and Robert both mutter before quickly moving to the door of the middle room.

"Yes, assuming you're okay with that," Finn stumbles.

"It's not like we've NOT shared a bed before," Rory begins, stepping toward the remaining bedroom. "Just, if you are going to bring a girl back, don't? Go to her room maybe?"

"Girls aren't on the agenda this weekend, Kitten." Finn stops Rory before she moves into their room. "I wouldn't treat you that shabbily. I'm better than that."

"I know you are," Rory begins, "but, I didn't think you'd be glued to my side twenty-four seven." She pauses before continuing, "I also wanted to ensure no awkward moments." Rory moved into the room, bouncing on the bed. Finn stands in the doorway, leaning against the frame.

"What do you say we freshen up and bit, then go scout out the ship to see where the best coffee is?"

"The man knows the way to my heart," Rory says before heading into the bathroom to wash some of the plane off her.

A few minutes later Rory and Finn were strolling along the main deck. Finding a small cafe, they both order a large coffee before finding a small table to sit at near the pool.

Rory closes her eyes, savoring the first sip of her life force. "Ah, that's not a bad brew," she comments. Looking at Finn, she bursts out laughing at his quirky look. "Problems with your coffee there?"

"Very hot," he returns blowing on the small opening in the lid. "I never could figure out how you manage to drink your coffee without letting it cool down a bit."

"Years of practice," Rory shrugs. "According to Luke I had my first cup of coffee at ten years of age. I'm pretty sure, though, that my mom slipped me some way before then."

They sit in companionable silence for several moments before Rory asks, "So, what does this weekend entail? How embarrassed, or horrified, am I going to be by the end of the event?"

"Well, I can't reveal everything," Finn begins, turning so he was angled toward her to see her face. "I can reveal that tonight will probably be the most challenging."

At Rory's questioning look, Finn continues, "Tonight is the opening banquet, full on seven course dinner, and what can be described as an extended game of twenty questions."

"That sounds like fun," Rory grumbles. "How bad do the questions get?"

"Hmmm, hard to say, really," Finn begins. "It mostly depends on how drunk everyone gets. You, Steph, and I will be stationed at an assigned table. We won't be moving; however, all the Brigadiers will rotate between tables. The goal is to have the maximum number of people making contact with the initiates. The questions usually start out simple and get more personal as the night goes on. Everyone mingles for hors d'oeuvres portion, then rotate to the different tables as the night goes on."

"And you will be right beside me all night?" Rory questions. "And can I refuse to answer a question?"

"Steph and I will both be right next to you all night," Finn confirms. "If you feel the question gets too personal you can ask for an alternative. However, most people don't get too intimate. The goal is to get to know everyone, not to embarrass you. Though, Logan and Colin might try to rattle you. They will be with us first and last I believe."

"Bring on the drama," Rory says, rolling her eyes, mostly for allowing herself to get roped into this. However, according to her Grandpa, this was a long standing right of passage for the Gilmore clan.

Finn takes the last sip of his coffee. He stands, taking Rory's empty cup before tossing both in a nearby trash can. He then holds out his hand to her, "Let's go relax in the room before getting ready. The dress is semi-formal. I'm assuming Steph helped you pick out a cocktail dress for tonight?"

"A few for this weekend and future use," Rory confirms. She and Finn hold hands, swinging them between their bodies as they walk back to the suite.

"Good. I knew she would be a good shopping buddy. That girl lives to shop," he says.

"She's definitely a force of nature in a department store," Rory confirms as she proceeds Finn into the common room of their suite. "Can we watch some mindless TV before I go take a shower?"

"Whatever you desire, Kitten," Finn says as he moves further into the room to sit on the sofa. He pats the seat beside him and smiles when Rory sits right next to him, snuggling into his side as they begin flipping through the channels to see what was on.

By a quarter to seven the entire group was ready to head to the ballroom for the opening banquet of the Life and Death Brigade initiation. Rory and Stephanie had taken over Rory and Finn's room for prep, forcing Finn to shower in Colin's room. Given that the boys took far less time to get ready, it wasn't a huge deal.

When the girls stepped out of the room the guys all gawked appropriately.

"Kitten, wow, that dress is—" Finn began, unable to form a complete thought.

"Damn, Ace, you look like a model," Logan begins. "Steph, you'll do," he smirks at his longtime friend, riling her up like he's prone to do.

"Bite me, Logan," Steph grouses as she moves to stand next to Colin.

"Colin would get jealous," Logan shoots back. He winks at his friends before turning and striding toward the door. "I need to pick up Rachael, I'll see you all in the ballroom."

"Shall we go?" Colin asks as he holds out his arm for Stephanie.

"Robert are you sitting with us as well?" Rory asks as the group makes their way through the halls of the ship.

"No, I got stuck with some other newbie this evening," Robert responds with a grin. "There's only ten of you this year, so they're trying to make the tables a mixture of alumni and current members."

"How did we get so lucky as to have a table full of current members?" Rory asks.

"Knowing people in high places, Kitten," Finn begins. "It pays to be besties with the organization committee."

"Ah, that would explain it," Robert says. At the questioning looks he continues, "I pissed Rosemary off this summer by not letting her stay at my parents place in the Catskills."

"Dude never piss off Rosemary. She's vicious," Colin says. "She still hasn't forgiven me for that prank I played on her Freshman year."

"I wouldn't have forgiven you either, you jerk," Stephanie responds before hugging Colin's arm.

Everyone has been chatting and bantering while making their way to the ballroom. Once they enter, Rory asks, "Wow, the LDB doesn't do anything by half measures do they?"

"Go big or go home, Reporter Girl," Colin says as he leads everyone further into the room. "Our table is up near the stage, just left of center."

"Pride of place for the sole legacy this year," Stephanie says before heading to the back of the ballroom where the dance floor and bars were stationed.

"What did she mean by that?" Rory asks, turning toward Finn.

"Just that you're the only legacy initiate this year," Finn says with a shrug. "Given your grandfather's status, along with your great-gran, going through this weekend is just a formality. You would be in even if you decided not to go through all this," he waves his hands around to indicate the room.

"Ah, so I can just ignore all the questions then?" Rory asks with a laugh. Even knowing she could, she also knows she won't refuse to answer. It was a pride thing and she didn't want to disappoint either her grandfather, nor her gran.

"But you won't," Finn says as he places his hand at the small of her back. "Let's go get a drink and mingle."

Rory grins, taking his hand in hers as they cross the room. "Nothing too strong, okay," she mentions to Finn as they reach the bar. "I don't want to get sloppy drunk."

"Never," Finn says before asking for a coffee-tini and a scotch. "I would recommend a one to three ratio for the night."

"What exactly does that mean?" Rory asks, taking a sip of her drink. "This is really good, thank you," she says first to the bartender then to Finn.

"One alcoholic beverage to three waters, sparkling is best if you don't want anyone to know you're not drinking," Finn states as if it's the most natural thing in the world.

"Of course, what was I thinking?" Rory says as she and Finn begin to mix with the other Brigade members.

"Brandon, how ya been, mate?" Finn asks as Rory and he stop at a small group. "Rory, may I introduce you to Brandon Talmidge, graduate student in the business department. The lovely lady by his side is Tiffany Bridgestone, recent Yale graduate in, Art History if I'm not mistaken," Finn adds. He watches Tiffany nod.

"Rory, nice to meet you," Tiffany says, extending her hand to shake. "You're Richard and Emily's granddaughter, no?" she asks.

"Yes, I am. Do you know my grandparents?" Rory asks. It still unnerves her sometimes when people mention her grandparents in such a familiar way. Sometimes she feels as if she's still getting to know them.

"They're friends with my parents," Tiffany says. "We vacationed with them a few times when I was younger."

"Interesting," Rory says, reaching for something to say. Except for the previous summer with her grandmother, she, herself, hadn't vacationed with them ever.

"Rory," Finn begins, trying to shift the focus of the conversation, "this is Leopold Fitz-Simmons and his wife, Jemma," he offers. "They're alumni from—forgive me, I don't remember your graduating year, sorry."

"No worries," Leopold says while his wife just smiles. "We're of an age where we don't talk about it so much any longer," Leopold continues.

"Now that just makes us sound positively ancient," Jemma tosses in. "We graduated in 1990."

"That's not so long ago," Rory says politely. "What did you study?"

The group falls into polite small talk, comparing professors and the best places to get food in New Haven.

Eventually the dinner hour was called. Rory gives a small wave as she says, "It was nice meeting you all. Jemma, please email me and I will send you the details about my mother's inn. I'm sure it would be just perfect for your needs."

"I'll do that," Jemma says before turning and following her husband to their table a few feet away.

"That wasn't so bad," Rory murmurs as she and Finn make their way to their own table.

"So far so good," Finn replies as he pulls out her chair. "Milady," he adds gallantly.

"Why thank you, kind sir," Rory responds back with a mischievous grin.

"How's it going, Ace?" Logan asks as he and Rachael take their seats.

"Not bad, so far," Rory responds. "I was able to help an alumnus find a place to hold a society meeting, I think."

"You're bloody brilliant, Kitten," Finn offers as the waiters begin serving the gazpacho soup and pouring the Bollinger Rose. "Every time someone asked a personal question, our Rory here," Finn begins putting his arm around her shoulder, "would answer as vaguely as possible, then turn the question back onto the asker. Bloody brilliant I tell ya." Finn smiles like a proud papa at his child's first steps.

"Well, you can't pull that trick on us," Stephanie says with a smirk. "So, inquiring minds want to know, when was the last time you kissed someone?"

"Good one, Steph," Colin says, leaning in to better mock the answer.

"Hmmm, that would be during spring break," Rory replies with a small smile. Under the table she takes Finn's hand and squeezes it lightly. "There was this very gallant guy who helped me get a drunk Paris back to our room. We talked a little then before he left, he asked for a kiss. It was pretty great." Rory could feel the blush rising up her neck, but she had made a pact with herself to answer as honestly as possible.

"It was a pretty good kiss for me too, Kitten," Finn leans in and whispers to Rory so only she could hear.

Rory feels herself flush and quickly takes a drink of her water to try to hide her face.

"Well, if we're asking those types of questions," Rachael begins after taking a sip of her drink, "what's your favorite sexual position?"

Everyone at the table pauses for a moment, looking at the outlier of their group. Many wonder what possessed her to go right to the truly embarrassing questions.

Rory nearly chokes on her water but doesn't back down. "Any position/place Huntzberger there isn't," Rory manages to shoot back. She smiles at Finn for rubbing her back to help her catch her breath.

"Ouch, Ace," Logan responds as he reaches for his heart. "That gets me, right here," he bemoans as he points to his chest.

"You forget I've heard the stories, Logi," Rory says. She uses the nickname she'd given him over the summer knowing he would hate it.

"Going for the jugular tonight, huh Ace," Logan says smirking at his friend.

"Well, gotta keep that ego in check," Rory responds.

"All right, children, let's not get too deep into the mud." Colin looks around the table, laughing at the various expressions on everyone's face. "It's time to switch it up," he adds as the waiters come around to collect the soup bowls.

Everyone but Stephanie and Finn get up and move to another table. "Let the party begin," Finn says.

Seth and Rosemary are the first two to sit down at the table. "Hey, guys," Seth greets the trio. "How's it been so far, Rory?" He asks.

"Not too intrusive," Rory replies with a smile. "Though Logan's 'friend' tried to start something I think," she adds.

"I think she's jealous of you," Stephanie says as the wait staff begin serving the appetizers. Rory starts laughing as the waiters set down a grilled shrimp and avocado with mango salsa in front of everyone.

"But why? It's not like I'm trying to get with Logan or anything," Rory says with a sigh. She picks up a shrimp, nibbling on it absently. "We're just friends. And he's so not my type."

"I didn't say it made sense, but it seems every girl that gets with Logan is jealous of those of us who are in his inner circle," Stephanie replies with a shrug.

"Insecure much," Rory mumbles. "Does that go for you too?" Rory asks Finn, turning so she can look at him directly.

"Not as much, I've been gone for a year and haven't shown interest in anyone so far," Finn defers.

"Yeah, what's up with that?" Rosemary asks. "Normally you're hitting on everything that walks by."

"I'm trying something new this year," Finn mumbles, a slight flush creeping up his cheeks. "So, this is a chance for you to get to know Rory better, not dissect my dating life."

"Rory, this is Sebastian Roberts and his wife Margret," Seth introduces the new faces at the table. "And, this is their son Michael," he adds indicating the man sitting to the right of Finn.

"Nice to meet you all," Rory says with her polite society smile in place. "Michael, are you still at Yale?" She asks before anyone can ask her a question.

"I am," Michael answers. "I'm in my last year of Law School."

"Following the family tradition," Margaret says with a proud smile. "What does your family do, Rory?"

"My grandfather is insurance," Rory says after swallowing a bite of shrimp. "My mother owns an inn in our hometown."

"Wait, you're Richard Gilmore's granddaughter?" Sebastian asks. "His company does all of our insurance at our offices. Please tell him Sebastian Roberts says hello."

"I'll do that. I have dinner with them nearly every Friday," Rory says as the waiters once more come around to collect empty plates.

Those moving to new tables took their drinks, bidding everyone a good evening with promises to talk more later.

"So far, so good," Rory says as five new people head to their table.

"You're doing great, Reporter Girl," Stephanie says, giving Rory a brief hug before introducing the new people.

Dinner progresses with Rory answering more questions, none too invasive. Finally, dessert arrives, a smorgasbord of petite one or two bite delicacies that makes Rory's mouth water.

"I should have left more room," Rory says with a chuckle as Logan, Rachael, Colin, and Robert sit down. "Just espresso for me, please," Rory says to the waiter asking for her beverage preference.

"Giving up the drink already, RG?" Robert asks. He, too, took up the reporter girl moniker, delighting in the frustration and eye roll he receives every time he uses it.

"You really should try the Remy Martin," Colin says, pointing his glass toward her. "It's smooth going down."

"That's not what she said," Logan says to his friend, trying to get him riled up.

"Shut it, you," Colin retorts. "Remember I have information about some of your less stellar performances there buddy."

"I see they're well into their cups," Stephanie deadpans. "Let's just hope we don't have to carry them back to the suite."

"To answer your question, Robert," Rory begins, trying desperately to ignore the still bickering stooges, "After the Chateau D'Yquem Sauternes with the cheese course I'm tapped out. I don't like feeling out of control."

"I bet you get saucy when you're drunk," Robert says with a smirk.

"Not sure," Rory shrugs. "I don't think I've ever been that drunk. Though even one sip of the Founder's Day punch packs a punch."

"Oh, do tell, Kitten," Finn says leaning across the table to reach a Black Forest petit fours.

"It's this punch that the dance teacher, Miss Patty, makes for most of the events in Stars Hollow. From what I'm told it could be used to remove paint."

"Sounds like my kind of beverage," Finn responds with a smile. "You'll have to invite us to the next shin dig in this little burrow of yours. We have to try the punch."

"Sure, there's one coming up in a couple weeks, not to mention my birthday bash," Rory says, taking another bite of her own petit fours.

"Okay, one final question for our Brigadier to be," Robert says, sipping his brandy. "If we gave you a box of 120 crayons and told you you had to eat one to, I don't know, save Finn from certain death, which one would you eat and why?"

"Ouch, going for the gut there," Rory says as she leans over toward her best friend. "Well, normally I would decline to eat a crayon, too waxy for my tastes, however, if it's to save my bestie here," she continues rubbing her hand down Finn's arm. "Hmmm—do I go with the white, so it doesn't show on my teeth, a food named one to trick myself that I'm eating food? Or do I go for the glitter one so when it comes out the other side it's all sparkly?"

"Wow, that's quite a bit of thinking for something that's meant to be crazy and wild," Logan says.

"I like to make my pro/con lists," Rory shrugs. "Even for something as fucking inane as eating a crayon." Rory doesn't realize what she's said, however, the others at the table stare at her in surprise before bursting into loud laughter.

"Who won," Finn says as he reaches into his jacket pocket, pulling out a thick envelope.

"What?" Rory asks, not understanding what's going on. To be honest, her head was swimming a bit. She figures it's a nice buzz from all the wine she drank with dinner.

"Well, Kitten," Finn begins, tapping the envelope on the table. "The group here," he points around the table at his friends, "decided to place a little bet on when you would lose your innocent exterior and let loose."

"You bet on me?" Rory asks the group, feeling a blush creep up her face.

"We meant no harm," Colin says, "None of us will judge you. And it's not like we have to worry about TV sensors or anything," he adds. "So get your curse on!"

"It just seems so—" Rory begins, unable to complete her thoughts.

"Of course, they wouldn't let me play," Finn adds in, shifting the focus a bit. "Something about I knew you too well and knew which buttons to push."

"Well, that's true enough." Rory places her hands on her cheeks, feeling the warmth still radiating. "So, does Logan win because he made the last comment, or is it Robert because he asked the question?" Rory figures if she can't beat them, she'll join them. "And are there any other bets going around about me?"

"I think Logan and Robert get to split the cash since they both had a hand in pushing you to your limits," Finn says handing over the envelope. "I don't think there's any more bets at the moment."

The rest of the table look at each other quickly, with the exception of Rachael who'd been quiet since returning to the table, before laughing.

At Finn and Rory's questioning look, Logan begins, "There's always a bet or two with this group. How many drinks before someone passes out. Who's going to be the next one to commit. Things like that."

"You all really will bet on anything won't you?" Rory asks.

"Of course," everyone answers in unison, as if it had been planned.

"Being friends with this group will never be boring," Rory says as she steals Finn's brandy and takes a big sip.

"Hey, that's mine," Finn grouses playfully.

"Besties share," was Rory's only reply.


	10. Chapter 10 Another Saturday Night

A/N: I have to say I was a little disappointed I didn't get more reviews from my last chapter. However, I know people are still reading, so I will try to be happy with that. Most of this was written last weekend while I was on a roll, so I decided to go ahead and post. The next chapter will hold the big stunt (no, no scaffolds will be in this story. That scene in GG is just too good to try to recreate.). I think everyone will appreciate what I have planned for that. In any case, please review, even if it's just a smiley face. It makes my day when I see numbers changing.

Chapter 10 – Another Saturday Night and I Ain't Got Nobody

Saturday morning Rory woke up with her limbs entwined with Finn's and her head resting on his chest. As quietly as possible she disentangles herself, hoping she won't wake Finn up. Fortunately, he sleeps like the dead, usually well into the afternoon.

She quickly makes her way to the bathroom, taking care of business then brushing her teeth. She'd taken a show last night after getting back from the banquet even though it'd been after two in the morning. With her morning routine done, Rory heads out to the main area of the suite in search of coffee.

As she heads to the kitchenette, she jumps when she sees Colin sittings the dining room table reading the paper.

"Morning, Rory," Colin says without looking up from the paper. "There's coffee and pastry if you want some."

"Wow, you do know my name," Rory says with a grin as she pours herself a large cup of coffee. She grabs a danish and napkin before moving to join Colin at the table. "Is Stephanie up yet?"

"Do you know the woman at all?" He asks with a laugh. "She's much like Finn, the later she can sleep in the better for all of us, trust me."

"Ah, so not a morning person then," Rory replies as she takes a bite of the pastry.

"The only time she gets up before noon is if she's going shopping," Colin says. "If she's up before noon it will be a miracle."

"Okay, then," Rory says, finishing the pastry and wiping her face with the napkin. "What's on the agenda for the day?"

"I think the girls are all relaxing by the pool, hoping to get a little color," Colin says, folding the paper and offering it to his companion. "The guys are trying to get together a water volleyball game. I think. Depends on if everyone gets up at a decent time."

"What time is the shindig for this evening," Rory asks, flipping through the sections of the paper and pulling out the front section along with the arts and leisure and comics.

"We're on our own for dinner, then the dance starts at eight. Did Steph show you the costumes for tonight?" Colin asks as he takes a sip of his coffee. He moves off to the kitchenette to get a refill, bringing the pot with him to refill Rory's cup too.

"No, she hasn't. Thanks for the refill," Rory says as she takes a healthy sip. "Everyone's been pretty closed-lipped over this weekend events. Finn didn't tell me about the twenty questions game from last night until a few hours beforehand."

"That sounds like Finn," Colin says with a laugh. "He loves to surprise people with awkward situations."

"Too true," Rory says. "So, what is tonight's festivities?"

"Don't you dare," Stephanie says as she makes her way to the kitchenette. "It's a surprise, though I think you'll love it."

"As long as it's not embarrassing," Rory replies. "What are we doing beforehand?"

"Taking it easy as we lounge by the pool and watching the boys play in the pool."

"Awesome," Rory says. "I can knock out another book for this week."

"Awe, come on, Gilmore," Steph begins as she takes a seat next to Colin. "Live a little, save the studying for the plane ride home."

"I'll consider it, but I have two more books to read before Thursday, so I may have to read a little just so I complete everything."

"What kind of evil classes are you taking there, Ror?" Robert asks as he moves to join everyone at the table, his own cup of coffee and pastry in his hands.

"I've got two lit courses, a philosophy course, a journalism course, and a poly-sci course," Rory says, moving to the kitchenette to start another pot of coffee and grabbing another danish.

"What, no game theory this year?"

"Last semester was torture enough," Rory says with a laugh, watching the coffee brew. "Have I thanked you enough for getting me through that class. With an A to boot."

"The Dewer's Reserve 18-year scotch was perfect," Robert says, watching Rory nibble on her pastry as she retakes her seat at the table.

"Well, Grandpa said it was a great scotch even though it wasn't the most expensive."

"Sometimes it's not the price that matters," Robert says as he watches Finn walk from his room into the kitchenette.

"Bite your tongue, man," Finn says groggily as he pours a cup of coffee and takes three pastries.

"Hungry much?" Rory asks as Finn slips into the chair beside her.

"I figured one was for you, Kitten," Finn says as he places a cherry danish onto the napkin in front of Rory.

"Ah, he feeds me too," Rory says, laying her head on Finn's shoulder briefly. "What would I do without you?"

"May we never find out," Finn says, flipping Rory's hair off her shoulder and giving her a kiss on the cheek.

The two were so wrapped up in each other they didn't notice the looks everyone was exchanging.

"So, did Logan stay here last night?" Colin asks, coughing to hide a chuckle at his friend's expense.

"I'm here, so that would be a no," Robert replies. "I'm sure he stayed with Stacy."

"Rachael," Stephanie corrects. "He's with Rachael this weekend."

"For the moment," Colin adds. "I heard them arguing before leaving the banquet last night. I wouldn't be surprised if that flamed out before the end of the weekend."

Rory bites her tongue, so she doesn't say something about the girl Logan was spending time with. She still hadn't forgiven the blonde for asking about her favorite sexual position. "Steph, can you help me pick out a swimsuit," she says trying to change the subject.

"What about that yellow one?"

"You mean the one you snuck into the bag when I wasn't looking?" Rory complains. "The one that's more string than material? I don't think so."

"You gotta loosen up, RG," Steph shoots back without guilt. "That suit was perfect for you."

"Not gonna happen," Rory argues back. "I barely feel comfortable in the 50's style suit, and that has a halter top and full briefs. I think I'll just go with that," Rory decides. She puts the half-eaten pastry on Finn's empty napkin before getting up from the table. She pours one last cup of coffee before heading off toward her bedroom. "Give me fifteen minutes to get changed?" She directed it toward Stephanie, however, it was Finn she looked at. So far, they'd managed to not have any awkward moments the few times they've shared sleeping space and she wanted to keep it that way.

"Take your time, Kitten," Finn says with a laugh. "I need at least one more cup of coffee before I can even think about moving."

As soon as the door closed, Finn's friends are on him.

"When're you going to tell her, mate?" Colin asks.

"You are so in love with her," Stephanie says at the same time.

"Dude, you're so whipped," Robert adds in.

"What the hell are you nattering on about?" Finn questions as he moves into the kitchenette to refill his coffee cup.

"It's so obvious you have a thing for Rory, Finn," Stephanie says. "You should just tell her."

"Yeah, put her, and us, out of our collective miseries," Robert says with a grin as his friend sits back down at the table.

"You're cracked, all of you," Finn says, pointing his finger at each of his friends in turn.

"We've all been cracked for years," Logan says from the door. He heard Finn's final statement and couldn't help adding in his two cents.

"Are you a part of the nonsense too?" Finn asks his friend as Logan makes his way to the kitchenette then the table.

"What's the topic of discussion?" Logan asks as he takes a sip of his coffee. "I mean, probably, but I should at least know what I'm agreeing to," he adds as he takes a bite of his pastry.

"This idea that I should reveal my undying love for Rory," Finn says.

"Oh, that nugget?" Logan looks at his friends with a mischievous smile. "I personally think you should wait until your birthday."

"You bet on this didn't you?" Finn asks, though he already knows the answer.

"Would we do that?" Colin asks.

"You'd bet on what time you need to take a wiz," Finn shoots back, getting up from the table to put his mug in the sink. "Shame on your families," Finn adds as he makes his way to his bedroom door. He hears the table erupt in laughter and just flips them the bird, never turning back toward them.

Finn opens the door and let it slam a little harder than he intended. He hears Rory squeak and turns in her direction, "Shit, sorry, Kitten," he says, turning back around to face the door. "I forgot you were changing. The guys got in my head a little and I needed to not be there with them," he rambles.

"No worries, Finnster," Rory says. "I'm fully clothed. I was just putting my wrap around my hips. You won't see anything."

"I truly am sorry," Finn says as he turns around. He moves toward his dresser, pulling out a pair of board shorts. "Give me a moment and then we can head toward the pool."

"Sure," Rory says. "I'll just go get a last cup of coffee."

"Sounds good," Finn says as he moves toward the bathroom. "I'll be out in a moment."

Rory makes her way back to the kitchenette, filling her mug once more. When she sits at the table she looks at each person with a hard look before speaking, "I don't know what you did to Finn, what you talked about, or whatever, but lay off him."

She sees Logan begin to talk, but she just holds up her hand, "No, I don't want to hear it. I don't need to know. What's important is that Finn isn't upset, got it?"

Logan begins to speak again but stops when he sees Finn walking out of his bedroom.

"Ready to go, Kitten?" Finn asks Rory, putting his arm around her shoulders.

"Sure," Rory says, giving those at the table the stink eye for a moment. "Let me go get my bag and we can go find a place to cop a squat by the pool."

Rory moves to the bedroom, coming back a moment later with a big beach type bag.

"Oh, nice bag, RG," Stephanie proclaims.

"You were with me when I bought it," Rory reminds the blonde.

"You must have slipped that one in. I don't remember it," Stephanie responds.

Rory simply gives her a shrug before taking Finn's hand and moving toward the door. "See you all out there shortly."

Finn and Rory make their way to the top deck to get to the pool. The silence was comfortable, and the duo were swinging their Hans back and forth again. When they reach the correct deck, Finn leads Rory to a set of chaise lounges close to the deep end of the pool.

"Let's grab these here," Finn says while pointing to the half dozen lounges. "I'll go get some towels to reserve them." Finn moves off, heading back to the wall. He grabs a stack of towels before going back to where Rory was sitting. "Here you go," Finn says before handing Rory a towel.

"Thank you, kind sir," Rory says as she unfurls the overly large towel, clipping it at the top of the chaise with the clips attached. "Could you help me get some sunscreen on my back? I can reach most of it, but there's a strip in the middle I can't get."

"Sure, scoot up," Finn says as he swings his leg over the chaise and settles in behind Rory. "Are we going for a light kiss from the sun, or full blockage?"

"I go from Casper to Lobster in the blink of an eye, so as much as I would like to have a nice glow, we better go for full blockage," Rory says with a sigh. Everyone always complimented her on the peaches and cream completion she has, but she thought it would be nice to have at least a. Light tan.

"You know, you could try going to a tanning salon and slowly build up a tan if you wanted to," Finn says. After putting a liberal amount of sun block on his hands, he rubbed them together to warm the lotion up slightly.

As he began rubbing the lotion into her skin, he had to stifle a moan. Her skin was the softest he's ever had the pleasure of touching. In an effort to not embarrass himself, he began reciting stats equations.

"What was that?" Rory asks, only hearing vague mumbling behind her. She relishes the feel of Finn's hands on her shoulders and back. She distracts herself a bit by scanning the area for anyone they knew.

"Oh, uh, nothing, Kitten," Finn replies with a note of embarrassment in his voice. "Just going over some equations for class next week. There," he says after a moment, "that should cover you until Stephanie gets out here."

As if saying her name conjures her, Stephanie appears beside the chaise. "Well, don't the two of you look comfy," she says with a giggle. Watching Finn and Rory dance around each other provides an endless amount of humor for everyone in their group.

"Just making sure Kitten here doesn't burn her delicate skin," Finn says as he reluctantly rises from the chaise. "And now, I must go help the boys with beating the alumni," he adds as he takes off running toward the pool. With a big jump Finn cannonballs into the deep end of the pool, splashing not only Logan, Colin, and Robert, but getting Stephanie, Rory, Rosemary, and Juliet in the process.

"He is such a child," Rosemary grumbles as she clips her towel to the chaise she claimed.

"Yeah, but we wouldn't have him, or the rest for that matter, any other way," Juliet says as she watches the stooges, Seth, and someone she didn't recognize set up in the deep end of the pool to play volleyball.

"That's the truth," Rory says as she reaches into her bag to get out her book for her Irish Literature course.

"Come on, RG, are you really going to study?" Stephanie groused.

"I don't want to get behind. Besides, it's Joyce," Rory responds holding up the book for the girls to see.

"I don't understand you literature types," Rosemary says with a grin. "How is reading pleasurable. Especially if you don't get to choose the books?"

"Reading for me has always been a way to visit places," Rory says with a shrug. "It's not everyone's cup of tea, but I love it."

"So, what's going on with you and Finn?" Juliet jumps in, changing the topic of the conversation completely.

"Nothing," Rory says. "We're just really good friends. After meeting him during Spring Break, we started talking over the phone on a regular basis and got to know each other really well."

"But you find him hot, right?" Rosemary adds.

"Well, sure. I mean, he's a very sexy guy, but he's not a commitment type of guy, and I'm definitely a commitment type of girl."

"I bet he'd commit if you showed an interest," Rosemary adds with a knowing smirk.

"I doubt that," Rory says, looking down at her book. Rory thinks it's a good thing she's wearing her new sunglasses. If they could see her eyes right now, she would give herself away.

"Oh, I have no doubt," Stephanie says. "You know he hasn't been with anyone since May, right?"

"Uh, no, I didn't know that," Rory stumbles. "We don't really talk about that part of his life. At least not in detail."

"Well, mark my words," Stephanie continues as she waves a waiter over, "it's very unusual behavior, and I think it's all because of you."

"Maybe," Rory says distracted thinking about her feelings towards Finn.

The boys win the volleyball game, then join the girls for a light lunch. Well, light for Rosemary, Juliet, and Stephanie. Rory eats her normal amount, causing the girls to, once again, complain at the amount of food she could put away.

After lunch, the boys go back to the pool to horse around and burn off some energy. Rory and the girls return to their chaises to continue "relaxing." Before Finn went into the pool, he again helps Rory apply sunscreen to her back. This causes the entire group to give each other looks, trying hard not to laugh outright.

Around three o'clock Stephanie indicates it's time for the girls to go take showers and begin getting ready. "I've scheduled someone to come do our hair and makeup since the event is period and the style might not be something most of us are used to."

"Can I know, now, what this 'event' is?" Rory asks once they're back in the suite. Rosemary and Juliet went to their own suite to take showers before heading over to the suite Rory and Stephanie are in to finish getting ready. Stephanie has all the costumes in her closet.

"Oh, I guess," Stephanie relents. "Tonight, we are dressing up in 40s swing dresses and the guys are dressing up in zoot suits or as WWII officers."

"Yeah, because none of them would be just regular soldiers," Rory murmured.

"What was that?" Stephanie asks.

"Nothing. So, do I get to see the costumes now?"

After your shower. Just put on your undergarments and the robe that was in your room," Stephanie begins. "After hair and makeup, we'll put on the dresses. I think the boys plan on taking us to the steak restaurant that's beside the ballroom."

"Oh, good," Rory replies as she heads toward her room. "I'm already hungry, so I'm sure by the time dinner rolls around I'll be starving."

"I will never understand, and forever be envious of your eating habits," Stephanie complains as she moves to her own room.

"Blame my mother," Rory says before closing the door.

A half hour later all the girls gather in the main room of the suite. The guys are all in the suite Seth and the other girls are sharing watching TV to kill time before they must get ready.

Portable chairs had been set up for the two hairstylists and makeup artists to be able to work on the girls. Rory's hair, since it was short, has temporary extensions added to help create the up do here stylist decided on.

"These won't mess up my hair, will they?" She asks with a bit of concern. She wasn't used to having extensions in her hair.

"No, and they're easy to take out at the end of the night," the stylist replies. "They just clip in, so one of the girls can help you remove them. You can also keep them in. You'll just have to be careful when you take the bobby-pins out tonight."

"Oh, good. Thank you." Rory frowns before adding, "I'm not sure what tomorrow will bring, so I'll probably just remove them."

"Your choice," the stylist says as she finishes spraying Rory's hair. "There, all done," she says, holding up a mirror so Rory could see the style.

"Oh my, that's gorgeous," she exclaims when she sees the intricate style. "I'm glad Stephanie hired you ladies," she adds, "there's no way I could do something this complicated. Thank you."

"You're more than welcome," the stylist replies. She then turns to one of the makeup artists. "She's all yours."

Twenty minutes later everyone's makeup and hair are done and they're all ready to put on their dresses. Stephanie had laid out the dresses on her and Colin's bed before hair and makeup, so the girls just had to wait until Colin was finished with his shower.

Ten minutes later, Colin comes out of the room, shirt untucked and a jacket and tie slung over his shoulder. "All yours," he says to the girls as he continues to the room Rory and Finn are sharing.

When Rory got to the bedroom, she surveys the dresses laid out on the bed. One in particular, a blue number with a sweetheart neckline and halter top that was blue with yellow polka dots with what looked like a flowy skirt caught her attention. As she goes closer, she realizes that the skirt, which was rather full, has a panel that matched the top.

"Oh, I like this one," she says as she runs her fingers over the bodice. "It reminds me of a dress I wore once."

"Well, I'm glad you like that one, RG," Stephanie says behind her. "It's yours. Along with two crinolines."

"You're kidding right?" Rory asks with a bit of fear lacing her voice.

"Never," Stephanie says as she moves to the closet to get out the crinolines for each of the dresses. "How can you get all flippy with the skirt if you don't have the crinolines? They make the dresses bouncy."

"And why do I need a bouncy skirt?" Rory asks, though she thinks she already knows.

"For all the 40s dances," Stephanie replies. Rosemary and Juliet are slowly putting on their dresses, not bothering to argue with Stephanie.

"Uh, you know Gilmores don't exercise right?" Rory asks as she begins putting on the underskirts.

"You don't have to go all crazy," Stephanie says as she zips up her own crinolines. "This was just my contribution to the weekend. "My mother had a thing for my dance instructor for a while when I was a kid. I got a lot of free classes on every dance imaginable."

"I wish my mother would pick her paramours with such concern for my well-being," Juliet says with a grin. "Instead, she does the gardener. Nothing for me there."

"I'm not sure my mother remembers what sex is," Rosemary adds to the conversation.

"Wow, and I thought my family was strange because my mom refused to marry my dad when she got pregnant," Rory says as she pulls her dress over her head. She was glad she was small enough in the boob department to be able to go bra less. She was careful not to mess up her hair or touch her face. "Will you tie me in the back?" She asks turning her back to Stephanie so the blonde could tie the halter.

"Sure," Stephanie says. After she asks Rory to twirl around so she could see the whole look. "Wow, you're going to have Finn drooling."

"Please don't start that, again," Rory begs. She didn't want to admit it, but ever since the girls had started teasing her about Finn liking her, she'd been daydreaming what it would be like to have him as more than a friend and kissing him again.

"We're just responding to what we see," Juliet says while Rosemary zips up her dress. She then turns to return the favor for her friend.

"Yeah, it's fun to watch, but it's beginning to get pathetic," Rosemary adds. "All right, are we ready to go?"

"I think we are," Stephanie says as she gives each woman a critical once over.

The group head out to the main area of the suite, happy to notice all the guys are dressed and ready to go. As the men stand from the sofa, they all go slack jawed at the way the girls look.

"Damn, that is a hot dress," Finn finally says after getting his head to focus. "I'm going to be beating all the guys, and some of the girls, off with a stick, Kitten." He moves closer to Rory and gives her a quick peck on the cheek.

"What are we, chopped liver?" Rosemary asks with a smirk. She was standing by Seth, who was most appreciative of her dress, and couldn't help the satisfied smile that crosses her face.

"Everyone looks great," Rory says, blushing slightly at the attention Finn was giving her. He has his arm around her waist, holding on to keep her from slipping away.

"Let's get this party started," Colin says, breaking up the various silent conversations. "First, we eat, then we dance!"

"Who knew Colin was such a jitter bug?" Rory whispers to Finn as they follow everyone down the hallway.

"He's been friends with Stephanie since the cradle," Finn whispers back. "He's had all the same dance classes, but for totally different reasons."

"Oh, so his mother wasn't 'with' the dance instructor?"

"No, his mum died when he was five," Finn replies. "His dad has gone on a run of step-mummies for our little future lawyer there. They've gotten progressively younger, and more frequent as time goes on."

"Wow," Rory says. "I feel sorry for Colin. I never thought that would happen," she adds with a bit of a smile, trying to change the direction of the deep conversation.

"Oh, don't feel too sorry for him, Kitten," Finn says as they make their way into the restaurant for dinner. "He's had a lot of fun watching his friends hit on them."

"You all definitely have led a different life," Rory says, shaking her head.

"Milady," Finn says as he pulls out Rory's chair.

"Thank you, kind sir," she replies as she places her napkin in her lap.

Dinner was a riotous event with the guys regaling the ladies with stories from the failed yacht trip. Everyone was in stitches laughing so hard, despite or because of Logan's embarrassment with having run the yacht into a Coast Guard boat. The trio were lucky they didn't get tossed in jail without bail or a phone call.

After dinner, the group made their way to the ballroom. They were a little late, so most of the brigade were already dancing to the Brian Setzer Orchestra.

Rory stands in awe of the decorations. Stephanie and her group left nothing to chance. The ballroom was transformed into a USO dance, complete with an orchestra.

"Is that Brian Setzer?" Rory asks.

"Yes, it is. I'm lucky that my father knows his publicist. We got a great deal," Steph says excitedly. "Come on," she says grabbing Rory and Juliet's hands after nodding her head at Rosemary, "let's go practice some dances."

"Bubble wrap, we should be wearing bubble wrap," Rory mutters as she gets dragged off. "Finn, come rescue me in ten minutes?"

"I'll do my best, Kitten," Finn says, trying to hide his laugh. When Rory sticks her tongue out at him, he knows he's failed. "Shall we go get a drink, men?"

The guys all head to one of the five bars set up for the evening. The LDB members are known for drinking. A lot.

Roughly thirty minutes later, Rory hobbles over to Finn, stealing his drink and downing it in one go. "You didn't come save me; you jerk. I should make you sleep with Robert as punishment." Rory sits in the chair next to Finn, growling at the other men sitting with him as they break out into laughter.

"Now, Kitten," Finn begins, "that's just mean. I've told you how he steals the covers. Would you want me to die of hypothermia?"

"It would serve you right," Rory grumbles, laying her head on Finn's shoulder. "Steph didn't believe me when I told her I have no coordination or rhythm."

"I believe you now," Stephanie says as she reaches the table. "Colin, come dance with me and show these slackers how it's done."

"As you wish," Colin says with resignation. It wasn't that he couldn't do the dances. He just didn't like to. It brought back too many horrible memories of various stepmothers.

"Kitten," Finn says softly. The rest of the group are on the dance floor, yet he feels the need to whisper. "I can dance with you. Having a strong partner makes the steps easier."

"Isn't Stephanie a strong dancer? She said her mom made her take lessons forever," Finn replies, not moving her head from Finn's shoulder.

"Well, she is a strong dancer, but it's usually the guy who leads," Finn says. "See, her technique has improved just by dancing with Colin instead of you girls."

"Let me rest my feet for a bit, then I'll let you lead me out for more torture," Rory says when she sees the hopeful look on Finn's face. "However, if I step on your feet you only have yourself to blame," she adds with a laugh.

"Duly noted," Finn responds.

"Oh, and no River Dance," Rory thinks to add. "We don't want to ruin the integrity of the event, right?"

"Now you're just hurting my heart," Finn replies playfully with his hands over his heart.

"Michael Flatley isn't here, so no daring people to have a dance off," Rory admonishes. "Remember Ireland, Finn."

"Fine!" Finn sighs. "But to be fair, I would have won that dance," he adds. "Let's go show these people what we're all about," he continues, holding out his hand waiting for Rory to take it.

"It's your feet," she says as she takes Finn's hand.


	11. Chapter 11 Walk the Plank

AN: I asked, and you answered. Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, favorited, followed, and voted for this story. Even if you just gave me a smiley, I appreciate every single one. It lets me know people are reading and enjoying this story. I apologize for the long time in getting this chapter out. I'm a PhD student working on a portfolio in preparation to begin my dissertation. I also teach. What little free time I have I try to write. Over the winter break I'm hoping to get ahead by a couple chapters so, hopefully, there won't be such a delay going forward. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Please, review, like, favorite, etc.

Chapter 11 – Walk the Plank

Sunday morning, unlike Saturday, sees Finn waking up before Rory. Not because he suddenly became a morning person, but rather because he was responsible for making sure Rory was ready on time for the stunt. He expected to have a hard time waking Rory up, however, when he pulls her into him more securely, she quickly opens her eyes.

"Morning," she whispers groggily, snuggling further into Finn's side.

"We need to get up, Kitten," Finn whispers back, kissing the top of her head.

"Still sleepy," Rory grumbles into Finn's chest. "I thought the LDB didn't do anything before two in the afternoon?"

"Well, usually that's the case," Finn began, "however, our stunt today will take quite a bit of time, so we need to get a move on."

"Fine, if you're going to make me get up," Rory groused one more time before rolling to the other side of the bed and standing.

"How are you not stumbling around after last night?" Finn asks, watching Rory pull a sweatshirt over her head. "I mean, you had way more to drink than you usually do."

"I blame it on genetics," Rory says with a shrug. "My mom is the same way. Once she drank three cups of Miss Patty's Founders Day punch, and barely stumbled on the walk home. It may be tied to our food consumption."

After a moment of contemplation Rory adds, "Though, I do have a slight headache. Do we have time for breakfast and a shower before the stunt?"

"Food, yes," Finn says. "Shower, not necessary. You'll have the opportunity to take a shower after the stunt. Beforehand would be pointless."

"What the hell does that mean?" Rory asks, a bit concerned with what was coming up.

"I promise nothing too out there," Finn evades. "This is one time you'll just have to suck it up and be surprised."

"Fine, but there better be coffee and pancakes." Rory follows Finn out of the room, marveling at his lack of modesty. At least he was wearing sweats.

"Good-day," Finn calls as he and Rory move into the dining area where the table is laden down with food. He laughs as he watches Rory move to the coffee pot first.

"Oh, this is good," she says with a deep moan. Finn quickly turns his attention to the food on the table, willing himself not to react to the sound. He ignores the knowing looks he receives from those around the table.

"Bite me," he whispers as he settles in at the end of the table. Rory sits to his right, piling her plate with eggs, bacon, sausage, and of course a couple danish.

"No tacos?" She asks as she begins eating.

"Is that your particular hang over food?" Logan asks. He's sitting on Finn's left, watching with fascination as Rory eats. It still amazes him that she's not the typical girl who only nibbles on things, never eating a full meal.

"Yeah, my mom swears by it," she acknowledges. "Not that I've needed hangover food often," Rory says as she adds another scoop of eggs and more bacon to her plate.

"Well, next time there will tacos," Finn says. The group tried to have everyone's favorites in order to avoid cranky members.

"You seem fairly perky for someone who drank like a fish last night," Stephanie grumbles from her end of the table. Steph was nursing a major hangover.

"Genetics," Rory mumbles. "We can eat our weight in junk food without gaining a pound, and we can drink like fishes."

"Lucky you," Colin says, nursing his own hangover.

"Well, eat up ladies and gentlemen, we have one hour to prepare ourselves for the event of the year!" Robert adds in, excited to get to the stunt.

"Still no hints," Rory says. "Thanks," she murmurs to Finn as he refills her coffee mug.

"Not this time, Reporter Girl," Robert says. "Your costume is in your closet. Don't worry about fixing your hair."

"Now I'm scared," Rory says, wondering, not for the first time, what the hell she's gotten herself into.

"Don't worry, Ace," Logan tries to reassure her. "It's something fun, maybe a little daring. It'll help you get out of your shell a bit."

"Are you saying I'm a wimp or something, Blondie," Rory shoots back.

"Just a little sheltered," Logan replies. "Everyone done?" He says, turning his attention to his friends. "Good, let's get dressed and get this party started."

"More costumes," Rory whispered to herself.

"Integrity of the event," everyone shouted as she and Finn make their way back to their room.

"Don't worry so much, Kitten," Finn begins. "Your costume this morning isn't complicated. Just make sure to wear your swimsuit underneath."

"Finn, you're scaring me here," Rory says. "I'm beginning to feel as if I'm the sacrificial virgin."

"None of the coordinators of this event know that about you, so there's no worry there." Finn pulls Rory into his chest, giving her a big hug before turning her toward the bathroom. "Now, go put on that costume. We don't want to be late."

Rory reluctantly goes to the closet, removing the dress bag that says 'Sunday Morning' on it. She quickly grabs the one-piece suit she managed to get by Stephanie and co on their shopping trip and moved to the bathroom.

She quickly strips off her pjs before slipping into her swimsuit. Not knowing what was coming up, she wanted to be as covered as possible. She suspected she and the ocean would become one at some point today. After taking a deep breath, Rory unzipped the dress bag, a look of confusion coming over her face at what greeted her.

Rory pulls out the flowing gown, Taking in the burnt orange tunic style dress, she briefly wonders if she'll look like she's wearing a sack. Pulling the dress over her head, Rory quickly pushes her arms into the sleeves, laughing at the fact they swallowed her hands, she watches as the rest of the dress flows over the rest of her body.

Sighing because she did look like the dress swallowed her whole, Rory rummages through the bag to see if there's some sort of sash she could use to at least give herself a waist. Finding a gold ribbon at the bottom of the bag, Rory breathes a sigh of relief as she wraps the ribbon around her waist, tying it into a neat bow in the front.

Putting on the faux leather boots, she gives herself a quick look in the mirror. "Just call me Buttercup," she says to her reflection. With a deep sigh, she moves to the door, reentering the bedroom.

When she spies Finn sitting on the end of the bed putting on similar faux leather boots, Rory lets out a loud laugh. "Well, hello there, Dread Pirate Roberts."

"At your service, M'lady," Finn replies as he moves towards Rory, taking her hand and twirling her to get the full effect of her dress. "You do make a beatific Buttercup."

"Why thank you, kind sir!" Rory says. "Shall we go join the rest of our merry band of misfits?"

"As you wish," Finn replies, taking Rory's hand in his and kissing it with a little bow.

Out in the main area Colin, Stephanie, Robert, and Logan were all dressed and waiting for Finn and Rory. Stephanie was in a similar dress as Rory, with the exception that hers was red.

"Wow, nothing by half measures for this crew, huh?" Rory asks, already knowing the answer.

"Go big, or go home," Robert replies.

"That's what she said," Colin mutters.

"Really, we're going there so early in the day?" Stephanie says with a grumble. They may be old enough to vote, drink themselves silly and many other things, but the guys were still little boys at heart.

"Time's wasting," Logan says as he ushers everyone to the door. "Steph, you know where to go right?"

"Yes, I know where I'm headed. I'll see you all after," she says as she moves away from the group once they made it to the main deck.

"Why is she going somewhere else?" Rory asks, nervous that she wouldn't have any female support for whatever the guys were subjecting her to.

Colin looks at Rory before answering, "She's not allowed to participate in the stunts. At least not for a few more months."

"O-kay," Rory responds hesitantly. "You know this isn't helping me feel comfortable about this."

"Don't worry, RG, we won't let you drown," Robert replies as they get to where a large group is gathered.

"Damn it, Robert," Logan says. "Let's get her to the front of the line since the cat is partially out of the bag."

The gathered group parted down the middle, allowing Logan, Robert, Finn, and Rory to move to the front. Seeing what looked like a diving board hanging over the side of the ship, Rory begins backing up.

"Oh, hell, no," she says as she realizes what the stunt really is. "There's no way in hell that you're getting me up there and off the side of this boat!"

"Ship," many voices respond yelling.

"Boat, yacht, ship, I don't give a damn what this floating contraption is, I'm not walking some damn plank like a pirate who's just mutinied."

"Oh, come on, Ace," Logan begins, "live a little. Do something fun, something dangerous. Get out of that shell of yours."

Before Rory could respond to Logan's taunts, Finn pulls her to the side and lifts her chin so she's looking directly at him. "Come on, Kitten. If you want, I'll jump with you. I was planning to anyway, but I'll hold your hand the entire way down."

Rory took a moment to look over the side of the ship. "That's high," she finally whispers.

"I've been higher," Finn casually replies.

"From the water, Finn," Rory grumbles.

"Yeah, that too," he says with a shrug. "Look," he adds pointing toward the side of the ship, "We may be crazy, but we're not suicidal. We have professional divers in the water to help out in case something happens. Come on. Jump with me?"

Something in Finn's eyes got to Rory and she feels herself nodding. "You jump, I jump, Jack!"

"Now, Kitten, I thought we decided I was the Dread Pirate Roberts? If you like, I'll even be the Dread Pirate Wesley to your Princess Buttercup, but I draw the line at being compared to Johnny Depp." Finn strikes an outrageous pose, "He wishes he were this fabulous."

"You are outrageous," Rory says clasping Finn's hand and moving to the front of the line that was forming at the side of the ship. "Let's do this," Rory says as she and Finn step onto the board. "In Omnia Paratus!" She yells as she and Finn quickly walk to the end bouncing once before free-falling to the ocean below.

Rory feels the cold water as she hits the surface. She's momentarily paralyzed, but she feels Finn tugging on her hand and quickly kicks her feet to push herself to air. When they break the surface, she notices the umbrellas they'd been given by Logan right before jumping floating nearby.

Once she's able to breath properly she looks at Finn, "Oh my god, Finn! That was a once in a lifetime experience."

"Only if you want it to be, Kitten," Finn replies before putting his hands-on Rory's cheeks, pulling her in for a quick kiss. Or what was supposed to be a celebratory peck. When Rory put her arms around Finn's neck and started kissing him back, they quickly lost control and all thoughts of the others watching or the fact they were treading water in the ocean were forgotten.

It was Logan and Colin's yell "to get a room," that brought the two out of their passionate kiss. Both fighting to catch their breaths, Rory and Finn finally begin the short swim to one of several boats anchored nearby.

"Well, look at you two," Stephanie says, smiling at the duo once they were safely in the boat. "That was some celebration out there."

"Mmm," Finn mumbled, hoping the kiss meant what he thought it did. "Give me one of those blankets, yeah?" Finn asks, taking the offered blanket and wrapping it around Rory's shoulders. "You okay, Kitten?" He asks worriedly. He hopes she wasn't upset about the kiss. Finn would risk drowning any day if he was able to kiss Rory like that on a regular basis.

"Hmmm?" Rory says distractedly. She has her hand on her mouth, puzzling out what had just happened.

"Oh, look," Stephanie interrupts. "The boys are about to go," she points toward the deck of the ship where Logan, Colin, and Robert were beginning to walk the plank.

Finn and Rory had both been so wrapped up in their own thoughts neither realized that several other LDB members had jumped. They turn their attention to the board and watch as Robert jumps to the left of the board, Colin jumps to the right, leaving Logan to jump straight out. They laugh and smile at each other as the cheer, "In Omnia Paratus" rings out.

The boys quickly make their way to the boat, getting help from the boat driver and his co-worker. Once they were on the boat they quickly move to their friends, Rosemary, Juliet, and Seth having already jumped and boarded the boat.

"That was some congratulations there, Finn," Logan says smirking at the still stunned face of one of his best friends.

"Huh? Yeah, I guess," Finn finally responds.

"Great comeback," Logan continues teasing his friend.

"Reporter Girl, you okay over there?" Colin asks. He sits between Stephanie and Rory, moving his hand up and down in front of Rory's face.

"Huh?" Rory asks, coming out of the trance she'd been in since Finn kissed her.

"Wow, I heard Finn's got skills, but I didn't think he could render someone speechless with just a kiss," Juliet says. The entire group are trying really hard not to laugh outright at their friends.

"Huh?" Rory says again, not fully comprehending what those around her were saying.

The group gets interrupted by the captain. "Sir," he begins addressing Logan, "we're ready to head to shore. Everyone is on one of the three boats. Including the divers."

"Sounds good," Logan says, and he and Robert take a seat opposite Finn, Rory, Steph, and Colin. "You're letting us off at the dock for the hotel correct?"

"Yes, sir."

Rory hears the chatter of her friends surrounding her, but she's not able to get out of her head thinking about that kiss. And the fact she kissed him back and deepened it. _What the hell did I do that for?_ She questions herself. She looks toward Finn to find him just as disengaged with his surroundings. _I hope I didn't mess up our friendship,_ Rory continues to think to herself.

In a matter of minutes, the boat pulls up to a large dock beside a small, boutique like, hotel. "Wow, this place is magnificent," Rory says looking at the Spanish styled hotel.

"Thanks, Kitten," Finn says, helping her out of the boat. "It's one of ours."

"Your family owns this?" Rory asks in shock.

"Yeppers," Finn replies. "I think we bought this particular hotel about five years ago and had it completely remodeled on the inside."

"Nice," Rory says as she follows everyone into the lobby of the hotel. "Oh, I bet the cleaning staff will be upset that we're getting water all over their floors," Rory adds as she hears the squeaking of everyone's shoes.

"They're getting a huge bonus for dealing with the LDB this weekend," Finn responds as he moves to the front desk.

"Good day, Mr. Morgan," the concierge says with a slight bow. Rory, standing behind Finn, laughs a bit, but tries to cover it with a cough.

"Hello, George," Finn responds to the man. "Can I get the keys for the family suite please?"

"Of course, sir," George responds. "The luggage from the ship has already been placed in the rightful rooms."

"Excellent," Finn replies, remembering that while the jump was taking place, all the luggage for everyone had been offloaded and taken to the hotel. "Are there any issues with the rooms I should be aware of?"

"No, sir," George begins. "Everything has been set up and, as you can see," he gestures to his right, "the staff is already checking in everyone else. You have the run of the hotel this weekend."

"Good job," Finn replies with a smile as he takes the envelope George hands him.

"Please, don't hesitate to let me know if you need anything else," George says with another slight bow as Finn and his friends move off to the side.

Finn begins distributing the keys to everyone. "Okay, we're in the family suite for tonight, so here's the key to the elevator to get you onto the floor. Our luggage is already up there." Once all the keys are handed out, Finn leads the group to the two elevators that would take them to the room.

"Wow, this is—" Rory begins as she steps into the main area. "I think this front room is bigger than my mom's whole house."

"It's only—thirteen hundred square feet I think," Finn responds as he watches his friends pick up their luggage that was left in the front room and begin divvying up the bedrooms.

"Okay, so maybe only the first floor of my mom's house, but still..." Rory trails off, twirling around trying to take everything in.

"Kitten," Finn begins as he stops her movements, looking deeply into her eyes. "Not to scare you or make you run, but—I think we should talk about what happened in the water."

Rory tries to look away, but Finn holds her chin gently, forcing her to continue looking at him. With a sigh she finally says, "Yeah, I guess we should. But, can I take a shower first? I'm a little chilly."

"Sure thing," he says, moving off to grab her luggage before leading her to the bedroom on the far right. "I'll show you your room."

"Are we not sharing this time?" Rory asks hesitantly when she notices his luggage still in the living room.

"We don't have to, but—" Finn trails off seeing the uncertainty in Rory's gaze.

"I mean, we've done so, so far, why brake tradition now?" She says with a shy smile.

"As you wish, Kitten," Finn smiles as he places her luggage on and next to the bench at the end of the bed. "How about you take a shower in here, I'll use the spare room, then maybe we can take a walk on the beach. Maybe get some food?"

"That sounds fabulous," Rory says with a grin. "As long as coffee is involved," she adds with an impish grin.

"Always," Finn replies, leaving her to shower and dress.

Fifteen minutes later the duo meets in the main room. "Ready, Kitten?" Finn asks before taking her hand and leading her out of the room and into the elevator. He pushes the button for the main floor then turns to Rory.

"So," Rory begins, but then she closes her mouth and turns toward the doors of the elevator.

"Yeah, so," Finn repeats, running his hand through his hair.

"That was some stunt," Rory finally says as they get to the first floor. She follows Finn as he moves to the rear of the hotel, going through the French doors that lead to the beach.

"One of our best," Finn agrees. "And the biggest, I think. We've never had so many people jump at one of these events. Usually we're too drunk by the time the stunt comes around."

"That I can believe," Rory responds with a laugh.

The pair walk along in silence for several minutes, just taking in the surroundings. Finally, they come to a small cafe right on the beach.

"Does this look okay?" Finn asks even as he leads Rory to an outdoor table.

"This looks lovely," Rory replies. She takes a moment to take in her surroundings before adding, "This is fabulous. You can sit here and enjoy a nice coffee and people watch or watch the waves come in. I could get used to this."

"Well, just let me know when you want to come back and I'll make it happen," Finn says, reaching across the table to take Rory's hand. He rubs his thumb over the back in small circles.

Rory opens her mouth to speak right as a waitress comes up to take their order. "Could I get a large, iced caramel latte and a blueberry scone? Please?"

Finn quickly glances at the waitress, "Large black, and a cranberry orange scone."

After the waitress leaves, Rory looks around, unsure what to say. The silence begins to feel awkward, so she says, "Finn—"

"Rory—" Finn begins at the same time. "You first," he adds, pointing toward her.

"I'm sorry," Rory manages to say, looking anywhere but at her friend.

"For what?" Finn asks dumbfounded.

"I shouldn't have kissed you like that," Rory replies after a moment. "I know there was some attraction when we first met, but you've been very clear that—"

"Kitten, stop," Finn says, trying to stop Rory before she starts to ramble. "If I remember correctly, I kissed you first."

"Well, yeah, but that was just a quick peck. I'm the one who took it to X rated level." Rory puts her head in her hands. "And I embarrassed you in the process. All your, our, friends were cat-calling and everything."

"Kitten. Rory, look at me please," Finn nearly begs. "I've said and heard much worse from that lot. And the only thing about that kiss that I want to say is I'm sad it didn't happen much sooner." Finn smiles at Rory before continuing, "You're a damn good kisser, Rory Gilmore."

Rory looks down blushing ever so slightly. When the waitress drops off their order she busies herself with buttering her scone and taking a big bite. She takes a drink of her coffee to help wash down the slightly dry scone before she's able to look back up at Finn. "So, what now?"

"Well, now we should talk about the next steps," Finn says before reaching across the table and linking his fingers with hers.

"I'm at a loss here, Finn. You'll have to help me out," Rory says after a moment. "Last I knew, you didn't do relationships, and I'm still definitely a commitment girl."

"Let me start by telling you a story," Finn says after a moment. He removes his hand from hers and runs his fingers through his hair. "There once was this hot, sexy bloke who found himself in Florida."

"Well, hot and sexy definitely is one description," Rory says with a laugh.

"Okay, so, anyway, this bloke met this beautiful Sheila who took his breath away." Finn sips his coffee before continuing, "Anyway, this bloke and Sheila became friends, but the bloke knew that he felt something different for this beauty. Something he wasn't familiar with." Finn pauses for a moment to take another sip of his coffee. Instead of eating the scone, he picks off pieces before crumbling it on the plate.

"Rory, when we talked in May and I flew to Hartford to help you with what was going on I realized something." Finn takes a moment to look out at the ocean. "I was stunned when I up and left Vegas. And the guys were more than floored. But, helping you made me realize that I had feelings for you that went deeper than anything I've ever felt."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Rory asks. Having already eaten her scone, she plays with her napkin, shredding it with nervous energy.

"Why don't we grab refills, maybe a couple of bottles of water, and go sit on the beach?" Finn asks as he notices the cafe beginning to fill up.

"Sure," Rory says, wadding up the napkin she's been shredding.


End file.
